Photographed at the 'Breathless' exbhition in New Delhi on June 5, 2019.
Ishan Tankha and Aruna Chandrasekhar, "Korba's Masked Avengers II", contributed by Prerna Srigyan, The Asthma Files, Platform for Experimental Collaborative Ethnography, last modified 13 June 2019, accessed 2 December 2024. http://583559.710819.cn/content/korbas-masked-avengers-ii
Critical Commentary
Korba district of Chattisgarh is often called the 'Power Capital of India', housing at least three large open cast coal mines, a super thermal power plant with 2500 MW capacity, four thermal power plants, a petroluem containment complex, and several factories with furnaces and smelters. It is widely acknowledged that Korba's residents are exposed to one of the most polluted air, water, and soil in the world.
For young women of Korba, the dupatta affords protection from coal dust and sun. For some, its a way towards moving anonymously in the industrial hub.