Where Death Stalks Life

Most of the workers at the stainless steel plumberware industry in Jatrabari cannot work more than ten or twelve years. Thereafter, it is a story of fading away as their bodies crumble bit by bit giving in to the toxic pollution accumulated in their bodies throughout the decade. The beginning of the end starts with headaches, dizziness, fatigue, a lack of appetite and aching limbs, said the workers. Holed up in tiny darkly lit burrows, these workers mould out taps, pipes, and auxiliary parts from molten steel without minimum protection like gloves. A gamchha is all they use to prevent the thick toxic fumes from choking up their lungs - a futile attempt in many cases because the long-term exposure to the gases cripples them sooner or later. With these devouring them up from inside, the workers do not bother with petty hygiene issues like washing their hands before eating - it is almost as if they have resigned themselves to their fate.

Photo: Anisur Rahman