“China: The Human Price of Pollution” striking photo series by Souvid Datta

Photographer Souvid Datta has documented China’s pollution problems with a series of striking photos revealing how much air, water, and soil contamination are affecting Chinese people.

One of China’s biggest issues consists of pollution. A study has revealed that about 3.5 million people are dying yearly due to diseases caused by air, water, and soil contamination.

Major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, have high levels of pollutants in the air, forcing the World Health Organization to declare the air as hazardous to humans.

Although the country’s leaders have finally acknowledged this nightmare, they are making small steps in fixing it and the so-called “war on pollution” is still a long way from being won.

In order to document China’s pollution problems, photographer Souvid Datta has captured a series of poignant photographs that seem to depict post-apocalyptic scenes.

“China: The Human Price of Pollution” is a touching photo project by Souvid Datta

The photo project is called “China: The Human Price of Pollution”. The name is duly-deserved, as it can be seen that people are suffering from the chemicals being thrown in the air, water, and soil near the country’s factories.

Although the government promised to close highly-polluting factories, most of them are still operating. Furthermore, they are dumping hazardous waste materials in rivers and lakes around cities and villages, which is an illegal practice.

For some reason, families are still living in these areas. However, they are paying a heavy price, as most of them have lost siblings to diseases caused by pollution.

Xingtai is China’s most polluted city, but it has not made it onto the “Cancer Villages” list

China is said to be pumping $350 billion into “Cancer Villages”. The government says that it is trying to clear the air, water, and soil in these towns. Unfortunately, many areas have not been labelled as “Cancer Villages”, so the inhabitants continue to suffer.

In one photo, you can see a Chinese person mourning his brother, who has fallen a victim to lung cancer after working for years in a steel factory. Zhang Wei is living in Xingtai, which has been declared as China’s most polluted city in 2013.

Despite its status, Xingtai has yet to proclaimed a “Cancer Village”, meaning that there are small chances for the city to be cleaned up anytime soon.

About the photographer

Souvid Datta is an India-born photographer who has been raised in London, UK and Kolkata, India. He has won several awards for his amazing works and has been featured on numerous prestigious websites.

More photos and projects bearing the name of the freelance photojournalist can be found at his personal website.