SocialDocumentary.net | Alex Masi | Bhopal Second Disaster

Photographer: Alex Masi

Title: Bhopal Second Disaster

Location: Madhya Pradesh, India

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Exhibit Abstract

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Exhibit Abstract

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Exhibit Abstract

Salman, 13, a boy suffering from a severe neurological disorder and blindness, is standing in his home in Arif Nagar, one of the nineteen water-affected colonies surrounding the abandoned Union Carbide (now DOW Chemical) industrial complex in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Bhopal is not yet at peace.

Twenty-eight years have passed since the 1984 gas disaster, caused by the American corporation Union Carbide, but many families are still trapped in the nightmare that began on that distant night.

Half a million people were exposed to the toxic cloud released from the plant, while all the safety mechanisms failed to work. Thousands died within weeks.

Today, its poisonous legacy is not only affecting the health of those who survived, but also the wellbeing of their children, many of whom are suffering from severe neurological and physical disorders, caused by the on-going environmental contamination.

Left buried in various spots around the abandoned industrial complex, the toxic waste of Union Carbide is penetrating the area’s underground water reservoirs.

Since the 2001 acquisition of Union Carbide by DOW Chemical, the corporation has single-handedly refused to accept any responsibility.

An on-going lawsuit against DOW Chemical is still pending before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. It seeks damages for injury, medical monitoring and for the clean-up of water and soil.

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Open Wounds: Bhopal 1984-2009

https://vimeo.com/7236918

While documenting the on-going health crisis in Bhopal, I strived to portray my subjects with intimacy, meaning and depth.

I wanted my images to convey emotions, to stimulate our deeper and most innate feelings: our senses compassion, brotherhood and justice, in the hope of becoming an active catalyst for the promotion of awareness, action and change for the people of Bhopal.

My book, entitled 'Bhopal Second Disaster', has been published in October 2012 in New York City, USA, and is the winner of the '2012 FotoEvidence Book Award'.

http://www.fotoevidence.com/alex-masi-2012-fotoevidence-book-award-winner

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