Humanity & Earth

My research, titled "Effects of Dumping Garbage and Medical Waste Surrounding the Batticaloa Lagoon", was conducted to study the destruction of fisheries and water resources, which results in an unstable livelihood for the families dependent on fisheries. A large amount of garbage, medical waste, and human body parts are being dumped surrounding the Batticaloa lagoon by people with political influence, Maantheevu hospital management, and others.

As a socially conscious person who believes that everyone should care for the environment and wants to expose what is happening in my own region, Batticaloa, I began my project without any support before 2018. Through the seed grant I received from the Goethe-Institut Sri Lanka, two years of continuous observation, and the guidance of the best resource people, this artistic photography documentation has been created.

Though Kattankudy, Eravur, Maantheevu, and Valaiaravu were research locations, the large part of the study was done in Maantheevu and Valaiaravu. In the areas surrounding the lagoon in Kattankudy and Eravur, illegal land acquisition is done by dumping large amounts of garbage as landfill. It is done by people from a specific area with political backing. Though there is destruction of aquatic resources, fisheries are not affected at all.

The situation in Maantheevu and Valaiaravu is severe. Maantheevu is an island in the middle of the Batticaloa lagoon and belongs to Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. The Leprosy Hospital in Maantheevu, which is still operational, was established by the British government in 1921 to isolate leprosy patients. Maantheevu is still a property of the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital. Therefore, the hospital's medical waste and disposed human body parts are being brought and dumped openly in Maantheevu. This has been causing a strong, unpleasant stench all over the island of Maantheevu. Medical and chemical waste dissolving into the lagoon water has been gradually destroying the aquatic and fishery resources. Fishery is the only source of livelihood for fifty families in the Valaiaravu neighbourhood.

Though I was very aware of the issue, I faced difficulties documenting it through photography. Through continuous discussions with the resource people and fellow photographers, I was able to closely observe the issues and completely understand the documentation. I located myself close to a fisherman's family. I followed them for a period of time and documented their day-to-day lives. My photographs are witnesses to the dreadful situation of the fishing families in the area who lost their livelihood and ended up doing aquaculture for their living in the period of 2018–2019.