Every passing year, the people of the Western Himalayas are haunted by the recurring reports of landslides wreaking havoc on both lives and property. These grim accounts spotlight the fragility of the region’s ecology, one that is further exacerbated by human-induced climate change and the unchecked construction of power projects. Most of Himachal Pradesh’s hydropower projects are located in areas highly susceptible to hazards like landslides and floods. Many planned projects are situated in the ecologically vulnerable regions of the Greater and Trans-Himalayan areas: Kinnaur and Spiti in the Upper Satluj Valley and Lahaul in the Chandrabhaga (Chenab) region. Despite this, the corporatocracy continues to promote hydropower as a “clean” and renewable energy source, despite the evident environmental concerns.

This series features photographic prints of hydropower projects and the land, created on locally sourced stone slabs, as a way of grounding the images materially in the land. This was done through experimenting with a 19th century alternate printing process known as Joubert’s dusting-out method. This hands-on approach was explored as a way to incorporate the tactile qualities of the region. During the creation of the prints, the stones organically influenced the printed images, allowing the environment to, in a way, metaphorically tell its own story.