It is definitely a moment of pride for Indian photographer Ronny Sen, who recently won the Getty Images Instagram Grant for his work on the coal town of Jharia in Jharkhand. For all those who didn’t know, the annual Getty Images Instagram Grant recognizes photographers who document stories from the underrepresented communities across the globe. Kolkata-based photographer Ronny Sen won a grant of $10,000 for his project, The End, that highlighted the lives and plight of all those who have been residing for generations with underground fires burning beneath their houses.
Image courtesy: Instagram
Jharia, infamous for its burning fires in the coal fields, is India’s only reserve for high-quality coal and the photographer spent about three months clicking a series of images and videos on his iPhone 5. He documented the landscape, the mine blasts and the fire in the coal mines that have affected the lives of people living and working there over the years.
This photo series brings to notice how the locals work so close to the fire and how there have been numerous deaths and casualties that go unreported on a day to day basis and the health hazards of breathing coal dust. Also, the fires result in emission of smoke and greenhouse gases that pose a great threat to the environment and human lives.
The other winners for the Getty Images Instagram Grant include Girma Berta of Ethiopia and Christian Rodriguez of Uruguay.
All images have been sourced from: Instagram
