Monday, July 16, 2007

Sweet sugarcane. Mumbai


Sugarcane juice industry is flourishing mainly because it is very cheap - Rs 3, 5, 6 etc. It was a cottage industry long years ago. In the post independent India it took streets as a common man’s drink. It is an alternative to bottled or branded soft drinks for ordinary people. With "migrants" flocking into Bombay and its population is exploding, this industry also expands into every corner of the city. Started as a common man's drink now it pushes the boundary being a natural pure drink. People who work in it are truly seasonal workers. They travel from one state to the other. Living conditions are pathetic as space being a scare commodity in Bombay. They live in crammed shacks and all most all of their social and biological needs take place there. The image is from "sweet sugarcane" series.