Water

Photo credit: Sebastiao Salgado

This picture was taken in a shanty-town called Mahim in India, where "a pipeline carrying drinking water to [the] more prosperous districts of Bombay" tears through the town (Salgado 29). In recent years, the quality of water in the Bombay area has deteriorated with the influx of population and pollution. Subsequently, the living conditions, in such areas as Mahim, have gone from bad to worse. Water is probably considered one of the most important resources on the earth. without it, life cannot be sustained; for it, wars have been fought.

Looking at this picture reminds me of all the different cities throughout the world that have been built because of their close proximity to a river or other body of water. However, I can only stare in wonder at this cold scene. Because of fear or selfishness, history tells us of the many walls which have been built to discriminate and keep away. while the reasons for building this pipeline aren't necessarily sinister in nature, the metaphor remains nonetheless- the walls built by society often exclude the less fortunate members of humanity from some of its most basic needs: liberty, civil rights, property, peace of mind, etc.

Works cited:

Salgado, Sebastiao. Pamphlet. "The Asian Mega-Cities." Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 2000. 29. Print

Salgado, Sebastiao. Photograph. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. Aperture: New York, 200. 399

Varshney, P.K. and Govindan K. "Macrobenthos Off Mahim (Bombay), West Coast of India in Relation to Coastal Pollution and aquaculture." National Institute of Oceanography. Indian Fisheries Association, 1995. Web. 11 March 2010.