Blackworld / Coal in Jharkhand (India)

• Prize
• Photographer
  Erberto Zani, Italy
• Studio
  Erberto Zani / Photojournalist
• Website
  http://www.erbertozani.com
• Instagram
  zanierberto

Portraits from BLACKWORLD

The world is black in Jharkhand, northeastern India. The entire
area around the cities of Dhanbad, Jharia and Catras is full of
coking coal, a treasure for the Indian economy (two thirds of all
electricity in India is generated from this coal). Black dust and
gasses shoot up from the ground: methane, carbon monoxide are
in the air and many of the people who live and work in the region
suffer for letal respiratory problems. Bokahapadi is a small village
inside the coal area. The only economic activity is mining for one
of the seven big companies. Those villagers do not work, scavenge
coal illegally every day for survive: early in the morning, before the
activity of miners start, they take small pieces of coal and loading
into wicker baskets for sell at black market. In Bokahapadi area
there are very few old people and many children and teens: people
die young . But without a real job, these families don't have others
chances.

Erberto Zani (Italy, 1978) is a documentary photographer, journalist and photo books designer, based between Parma (Italy) and Basel (Switzerland). Since 1998 he worked as photographer in advertisement sector. Freelance since 2008, most of his works are focused on documentary-humanitarian themes. He cooperates with companies, magazines and No Profit Organizations, for photographs and editorial projects.

Awards 2018
Monochrome Photography Awards: 2nd place category "Abstract"
Chromatic Photography Awards: 1st Place "Street" category with Leathers drying.
IPA - International Photography Awards: 2nd place, category "Event / Social cause" for Rohingya's exodus.
2017
Monochrome Photography Awards: 1st and 2nd place, category "Photojournalism"
2016
IPA - International Photography Awards: 2nd place, category Book Documentary for "Black World"
PX3 - Prix de la Photographie Paris: Gold medal in Professional Book Documentary and Bronze medal in Professional Book People