A documentary photograph of a man wading through heavily polluted, plastic-strewn water in Mumbai, collecting plastic bottles into a styrofoam box. — A man collecting plastic bottles from a heavily polluted waterway in Mumbai, India.

Documentary · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

The Cost of Progress

Captured from an overhead perspective in Mumbai, India, this hard-hitting documentary photograph portrays a man knee-deep in a severely polluted urban drain, sorting and collecting plastic bottles into a styrofoam box. The stark contrast between human labor and the overwhelming sea of waste serves as a powerful commentary on modern urban pollution, environmental neglect, and survival.

This photograph may be available to license, subject to review and written agreement. An enquiry does not grant usage rights.

License this photograph ↗