What is
Dhara?
Is it simply a state of sublimity that humans experience? Where does the role of nature lie?
Founder’s Note
Rivers hold a major significance in the Indian context. They are considered sacred and are worshipped as goddesses. The river Ganga, for instance, is believed to be the embodiment of a mother deity, highly revered by Hindus. Such is the case for Yamuna. Rivers also play a vital role in the country's ecosystem and economy, providing water for agriculture and industry. However, how does one pollute the same river that they consider to be their mother?
There exists a pertinent void in communication - the stakeholders disseminating ecological policies fail to recognize the voices of the marginalized - the ones who face the river’s wrath. In such a situation, it is the undying spirit of the leaders of today that can resolve this age-old conflict to create a better tomorrow. I believe in the power of community, and I believe in the purpose that we serve in protecting the world around us. Let us immerse ourselves in the flow of being!
Pubarun Basu
A tale of two rivers
Chasing the Ganga-Yamuna river system
Why has Yamuna River historically always faced environmental degradation.
How do communities along the river Ganga cope?
Who is disseminating policy & how is it translating on ground?
the Ganga is suffocating as we speak
- Cities are significantly contributing to the pollution levels of the river Yamuna due to the discharge of sewage, daily usage, industrial effluent discharge, open defecation, agricultural runoff, floral offerings, dumping of animal carcass, disposition of crematorium waste, etc.
Polluting Factors
A recent study has found
800 Million Litres
OF UNTREATED SEWAGE WASTEWATER IS PUMPED INTO THE YAMUNA DAILY
Google Earth Satellite Image of river Yamuna in Kalindi Kunj
44 million litres of industrial effluents are also discharged daily into
the Yamuna.
The Wazirabad barrage to New Okhla Barrage, "22 km stretch of Yamuna in Delhi, is less than 2% of Yamuna's total length but accounts for nearly 80% of the total pollution in the river.
Inception of the Flow
Seed-Fund Grant from National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy
View the freshwater research StoryMap!
Photo-Inclusion Project
Public Art Exhibitions
The River Festival
February 2023
Photo-Inclusion Project
Telling Stories of Ganga through Community Storytelling
As an initiative to make photography available to all, we are partnering up 10 young photographers of the city with 10 disadvantaged youth from the NGO – Life Project 4 Youth (France) to tell stories together through mutual collaboration. The photographers (selected through an open call) will share their equipment with the youth and guide them in capturing the beauty of the ghats of Kolkata during The River Festival, where a diverse range of cultural activities would be hosted. The workshop has been designed for the youth to build a sense of community and work together towards the conservation of the environment. The entire session will be moderated by Pubarun Basu, and will culminate with an exhibition of the photographs.
Student Works
Public Art Exhibitions
Engaging Diverse Stakeholders through my river narrative
In Picture :
- Narayan Baba - Holy Sage/Inhabitant
- Sean Murphy - Photographer VII Photos
- Gautam Chakraborti : Port Trust Advisor
- Secretary and President of Rotary Club Kolkata
- Gianluca Rubagotti - Italian Consul General
The River and its People
An Immersive Exhibition of my long-term documentary on Ganga
Media Coverage and Impact
Facilitated by KultX - organizers of The River Festival
PARTNERS
KultX
Organizers of The River Festival
S.P.M Port Trust
Venue Facilitator
ROTARY CLUB Kolkata
Host partner for exhibition
Calcutta cacophony
Outreach & Media Partner
CASP
Partner for Photo-Inclusion Project
Introductory Video - Watch!
Dhara - a youth community led by Pubarun Basu, supported by seed-funding from Ashoka University.
September 2023 - ongoing
3 streams of DHARA
Documentation
slow journalism
Primary research paired with visual storytelling
experiential
learning
Inducing values of resilience in student communities
public art
engagements
Disseminating gaps in conservation through purposefully driven public art endeavors
iMMERSIVE ENGAGEMENTS with STUDENTS OF ASOSE
ETHNOGRAPHY as a
Educational medium
Collecting and analyzing data through UX tools & story maps with communities.
ETHNOGRAPHY as an
Artistic medium
Creating AI Artworks to correlate perceptions of water with on-ground scenarios.
ETHNOGRAPHY as a
TIME CAPSULE
Student photographs of the river in cycles of life, death, nourishment, folklore, & waste management
Research and Implementation
About the Team
Amrit
Amrit’s experience with behavioral psychology and autistic children
makes him the
driver of community
connect in the team.
Anish
With a Eco-Political professorship experience
of 5 years,
Anish is at the heart
of research & policy
thinking in the team.
Meher
With UX Research and Design as her forte, Meher is here to help curate experiential landscapes through data visualtization.
Pubarun (Founder)
Pubarun’s vision
for nature conservation through artistic dialogue
are behind this project,
as are his photography,
ideation & filming skills!
Find the
RIVER wITHIN yOU
ERSONAL
URPOSE
ARTNERSHIPS
