THE RIVER RUNS BLACK
China has only 7 percent of the world's water reserves, but breakneck economic growth over the past three decades has increased pollution and made clean water supplies even scarcer. In addition, the number of accidents on Chinese factories has risen drastically in recent years. In 2005, the Songhua River in Northeast China was the scene of one of the worst chemical disasters in history. The spill affected millions of riverside residents along China’s third biggest river and strained ties with Russia.
Thousands of citizens of Jilin stroll along the Songhua River on a Sunday evening. In Jilin City, where a Petro China chemical factory exploded last November, more than 200 factories lining the river pollutes the river and the air on a non-stop basis. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A local fisherman hunts for supper along the polluted Songhua River. Even though oil and garbage floats on the surface he got lucky soon after and landed a small fish in his net. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
The two brothers Jiang Ji Quan and Jiang Jichao are working at the site of the wastewater run-out from a polluting paper factory in Jilin. They filter the dirty wastewater and recycle the bits of paper that they carry away, later to be loaded on a truck. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A migrant family’s boss has been about the house to check up on the working progress at the river. He brought leftovers from a business lunch earlier in the day. Since the family doesnÕt get that kind of nice restaurant food very often, they start to eat it right out of the plastic bags, before returning to work. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Many local people in Jilin actually think the chemical disaster was a blessing in disguise. They hope it means that the government will finally have to take water pollution seriously in China’s old, industrial heartland. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A team of workers are finishing the dayÕs work on a new pipeline from one of the many factories along Songhua River. The cows on the left used to graze here, but powerful factory owners can always claim a farmerÕs land, since the state owns all land in China. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A member of Jilin Swimmers Club is taking the yearÕs first dive in the icy Songhua River. The club has more than 500 members and they meet every morning from May to September to swim in the river. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Gasoline and oily wastewater flows on the surface of the water in Songhua River. After the explosion last year benzene levels were 108 times above national safety levels. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
The family has to boil up water in the morning to wash the sleep away from their eyes, so Yang Chaozhen is cutting up wood for the open fireplace, before the day’s work at the sewage lines begins. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
In the ruined house of the migrant family chickens roam freely in the kitchen. The family came to Jilin more than ten years ago to find work and they still hope for a brighter future in the big city. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
The first cigarette of the day quickly fills the room, seconds after the oldest brother of the migrant family, Jiang Jigao, has awoken early in the morning. Soon after the 14 hour-a-day work at the paper factory run-outs begins. He used to work as a fisherman, but there are no longer any fish in the river that runs through his village. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A lot of China’s celebrated economic growth is made at the cost of human health. A family are working on the river; their job is to get leeches out of the river floor. They can sell the leeches to the medical industry for less than 10 USD per kilo. It takes a long day of hard work for the four of them to get one kilo of leeches. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Catch of the day. After more than three hours of fishing on the banks of Songhua River a local fisherman got lucky with a rare gold fish. Decades ago the river was full of large fish and people could drink the water directly from the river. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A farmer tend to a herd of sheep next to a river outside Jilin City. The animals graze on grass fed by the heavily polluted Songhua River. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Outside their worn down house, 13-year-old Jiang has just finished taking a bath in water fetched directly from the Songhua River. Since the chemical disaster, the family often gets severe diarrhoea and full body rashes after wearing freshly washed clothes. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
China has promised to take a series of measures to improve water quality in Songhua River, including construction of more sewage and garbage treatment plants in cities and enforcing clean production in industries along the river. Here a man is watching nearly black wastewater coming from an oil refinery in Jilin. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Two teenagers play a round of pool in the shadow of Jilin Bridge. The Songhua River front is the popular scene of kissing couples, karaoke singers, boat renters and fishing men. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Shang Maoping fetch water directly from the river like millions of other people residing along Songhua River. The little tarped woodwork behind Shang is his familyÕs only lavatory. Songhua is the main water source for more than 62 million people in Northeast China. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
Jiang Lianxue, Zhang Xianwen og Li Hanmin from the local NGO ‘Jilin Environment Protect Volunteer Association’ are inspecting the sewage run-out at ‘Chenming Paper Making Company’. The NGO has more than 1000 members, many of them former employees at the polluting factories lining the Songhua River. They know better than most the reckless methods of disharging the chemical dumping. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
A newlywed bride poses for the standard wedding photos in front of a church on the Songhua River in Jilin. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
The Petro China chemical plant explosions on November 13, 2005, occured over the period of an hour. The explosions killed five, injured dozens, and caused the evacuation of tens of thousands of Jilin residents. The blast created an 80 kilometer long toxic slick in the Songhua River. The slick, predominantly made up of benzene and nitrobenzene, passed through the Amur River in Russia over subsequent weeks. Christian Als / GraziaNeri
There’s no electricity in the house, so Jiang Jichao eats in the light of a candle. In the background you can hear a small radio playing traditional, Chinese music.
As dusk settles on the Songhua River two brothers of the migrant family carries yet another load of paper bits onto the truck. Each worker gets approximately 3 dollars for a truckload. Christian Als / GraziaNeri