Untitled, Atul Bhalla

Exhibition Label: "Conversation XIV: Water,” Mar-2013, Kate Meyer and Kris Ercums The Yamuna divides New and Old Delhi, and is one of the largest tributaries of the Ganges River. Tens of millions of people depend on water from the Yamuna for irrigation and domestic use. Venerated in Hindu mythology as the goddess of life, it is also one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Bhalla explores the relationship between the Yamuna and urban communities. Recalling the circumstance when this photograph was created, Bhalla states: This work was shot just after the Yamuna flood in 2010. During the flood, the waters reached the low-lying jhuggis (shanties) as we call them, which you can see at the edge of the work. The location is close to Burari Village, which sits on the Yamuna. Initially a farming village, it is now turning into the biggest slum of Delhi. The village and its surroundings are flooded each year as the low lying areas are only spaces available to the poor.