Date:10/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/10/stories/2007051018360200.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Stories of drought through the lens

Staff Reporter

Exhibition on drought in State opens on Friday

HARSH REALITY: The dry Shegeri Lake in Bellary as captured by Mohan's camera.

BANGALORE: For press photographer G. Mohan, water problems in Karnataka, the severe drought situation in distant districts were all reports he only read from Bangalore. He always wanted to visit those places, capture those images in real colours.

Eventually, he did break away from the inertia and started his photographic journey to the drought-affected areas of Bellary, Gulbarga, Koppal, Chitradurga and other districts.

His probing eye spotted the moving images of people and animals struggling for their lives in hot, merciless surroundings.

His pictures had them all. They were stark and real, each pregnant with a thousand stories of toil.

Although the pictures did not tell the whole picture of a State thirsty for water, the images were fairly representative. But Mohan admits the water crisis, not captured in his frames, might be much worse. To bring out the pain and suffering of the drought-affected districts to the city-breds, Mohan has now arranged an exhibition of his photographs. Titled "Baragalada Naduve Bariganna Nota," the display of his pictures will hit the city's Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath on May 11 and 12, 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Catch the photographer and his works for more at the venue.