1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,110 [Traffic noises and car horns] 2 00:00:35,289 --> 00:00:40,307 This is the town of Jorhat in the remote North East of India. 3 00:00:41,887 --> 00:00:47,623 I suppose Jorhat is not really that different from any other city in India. 4 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,947 People here work very hard. 5 00:00:50,947 --> 00:00:56,424 They keep their heads down and push ahead. They don't look back. 6 00:00:57,191 --> 00:01:03,053 Life here is difficult for some and even more difficult for others. 7 00:01:03,053 --> 00:01:09,812 My name is Jitu Kalita and Jorhat is where I was born and where I live. 8 00:01:09,812 --> 00:01:14,523 My house is located just outside of Jorhat. 9 00:01:16,807 --> 00:01:19,454 This is my nephew. 10 00:01:21,743 --> 00:01:25,544 He is suspicious of cameras. 11 00:01:27,254 --> 00:01:31,924 In Jorhat I do many different things but mostly I am a photographer. 12 00:01:31,924 --> 00:01:34,790 I love photographing nature. 13 00:01:34,790 --> 00:01:41,341 I take shots of the beautiful birds and wildlife that live in our part of India. 14 00:01:41,641 --> 00:01:49,350 In my house I keep some of my photography awards but I don't like to show them off. 15 00:01:50,499 --> 00:01:58,129 A few kilometres North of Jorhat lies one of the largest rivers in India, the Brahmaputra. 16 00:02:00,060 --> 00:02:03,717 Millions of people live along its shores. 17 00:02:03,717 --> 00:02:08,249 Every year during the monsoon the river floods everything in sight. 18 00:02:08,249 --> 00:02:15,183 Destroying homes and farms and eroding away hundreds of square kilometres of land. 19 00:02:18,165 --> 00:02:22,525 One of the worst affected areas is Majuli island. 20 00:02:22,525 --> 00:02:26,180 Majuli is the worlds largest river island. 21 00:02:26,180 --> 00:02:30,501 And it is home to over 150,000 people. 22 00:02:30,501 --> 00:02:38,263 Since 1917, Majuli has lost over half its land mass to erosion. 23 00:02:38,281 --> 00:02:42,489 And the rate of erosion has recently accelerated. 24 00:02:43,645 --> 00:02:50,004 Well the erosion of Majuli. There are several causes. The first is that: 25 00:03:26,252 --> 00:03:31,970 This islander lost his home and his temple. He points to where it once stood. 26 00:03:52,441 --> 00:03:58,061 This temple may be next. It's located only 2km from the river bank erosion. 27 00:03:58,061 --> 00:04:01,758 The temple is nearly 250 years old. 28 00:04:01,758 --> 00:04:08,222 Unless something is done in as little as 5 years this temple could be washed away. 29 00:04:18,797 --> 00:05:04,871 [he sings a prayer] 30 00:05:09,616 --> 00:05:13,481 The Brahmaputra is where I take most of my photos. 31 00:05:13,481 --> 00:05:21,535 One day in 2009, I was exploring a barren part by boat when I something strange. 32 00:05:21,535 --> 00:05:25,214 It looked like a forest far in the distance. 33 00:05:25,214 --> 00:05:30,410 I began walking towards it and when I reached it I couldn't believe my eyes. 34 00:05:30,410 --> 00:05:35,549 I had found a dense forest in the middle of a barren wasteland. 35 00:05:41,137 --> 00:05:47,554 When I left the forest I saw a man far in the distance so I began following him. 36 00:05:47,554 --> 00:05:54,269 I found him by the riverside. At first he thought I was a poacher and tried to attack me. 37 00:05:54,269 --> 00:05:57,765 But he stopped when I told him I was just a photographer. 38 00:05:57,765 --> 00:06:00,358 I asked him what he was doing in the forest. 39 00:06:00,358 --> 00:06:05,756 He explained he was planting trees and he had been since the 1970's. 40 00:06:05,756 --> 00:06:10,333 He told me his name was Jadav Payeng. 41 00:06:28,388 --> 00:06:35,138 When I discovered Jadav Payeng and his forest I wrote an article about it in the local newspaper. 42 00:06:35,138 --> 00:06:40,283 Soon after he became known throughout India. We are now very good friends. 43 00:07:13,317 --> 00:07:16,364 This is Majuli island. 44 00:07:16,364 --> 00:07:21,188 Since I was a child Majuli has been a place of wonder for me. 45 00:07:21,188 --> 00:07:24,388 Once, I ran away from home and came here. 46 00:07:24,388 --> 00:07:29,169 I spent days exploring and drawing pictures of the plants and animals. 47 00:07:29,169 --> 00:07:31,970 To me Majuli is heaven. 48 00:07:33,174 --> 00:07:40,944 Scientists recently announced that in 15-20 years Majuli island could be completely gone. 49 00:08:05,871 --> 00:08:10,272 This is the forest mans home on Majuli island. 50 00:08:24,461 --> 00:08:32,192 Every morning the forest mans family helps him prepare for his journey to the forest. 51 00:09:07,189 --> 00:09:14,822 [motor boat engine starts] 52 00:11:29,619 --> 00:11:46,599 [mobile phone ringtone plays] 53 00:11:46,599 --> 00:11:48,561 Hello? 54 00:13:22,579 --> 00:13:26,841 The forest man is being honoured in a nearby city. 55 00:13:27,769 --> 00:13:32,367 Payeng has won dozens of awards for his incredible achievements. 56 00:13:32,367 --> 00:13:36,800 But I think he feels frustrated by getting awards. 57 00:13:40,236 --> 00:13:45,768 Local government has tried to get Majuli listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site 58 00:13:45,768 --> 00:13:49,566 but their application has been rejected each time. 59 00:13:50,510 --> 00:13:54,424 Payeng has many brilliant ideas about how to save Majuli. 60 00:13:54,424 --> 00:14:00,942 He tells everyone his ideas but so far no one has adopted them. 61 00:15:22,900 --> 00:15:30,455 Sometimes I wonder what 10, 100 or a thousand Payengs could do. 62 00:15:30,455 --> 00:15:36,142 He once told me I worry about the fate of the world just like everyone. 63 00:15:36,142 --> 00:15:41,055 I see bad things happening on my island and I do what I can to help. 64 00:15:41,055 --> 00:15:44,711 I'm just a simple man. There are many just like me. 65 00:15:44,711 --> 00:15:50,273 When I asked him if he thought Majuli could be saved he replied - Yes.