[Traffic noises and car horns]
This is the town of Jorhat in the remote North East of India.
I suppose Jorhat is not really that different from any other city in India.
People here work very hard.
They keep their heads down and push ahead. They don't look back.
Life here is difficult for some and even more difficult for others.
My name is Jitu Kalita and Jorhat is where I was born and where I live.
My house is located just outside of Jorhat.
This is my nephew.
He is suspicious of cameras.
In Jorhat I do many different things but mostly I am a photographer.
I love photographing nature.
I take shots of the beautiful birds and wildlife that live in our part of India.
In my house I keep some of my photography awards but I don't like to show them off.
A few kilometres North of Jorhat lies one of the largest rivers in India, the Brahmaputra.
Millions of people live along its shores.
Every year during the monsoon the river floods everything in sight.
Destroying homes and farms and eroding away hundreds of square kilometres of land.
One of the worst affected areas is Majuli island.
Majuli is the worlds largest river island.
And it is home to over 150,000 people.
Since 1917, Majuli has lost over half its land mass to erosion.
And the rate of erosion has recently accelerated.
Well the erosion of Majuli. There are several causes. The first is that:
This islander lost his home and his temple. He points to where it once stood.
This temple may be next. It's located only 2km from the river bank erosion.
The temple is nearly 250 years old.
Unless something is done in as little as 5 years this temple could be washed away.
[he sings a prayer]
The Brahmaputra is where I take most of my photos.
One day in 2009, I was exploring a barren part by boat when I something strange.
It looked like a forest far in the distance.
I began walking towards it and when I reached it I couldn't believe my eyes.
I had found a dense forest in the middle of a barren wasteland.
When I left the forest I saw a man far in the distance so I began following him.
I found him by the riverside. At first he thought I was a poacher and tried to attack me.
But he stopped when I told him I was just a photographer.
I asked him what he was doing in the forest.
He explained he was planting trees and he had been since the 1970's.
He told me his name was Jadav Payeng.
When I discovered Jadav Payeng and his forest I wrote an article about it in the local newspaper.
Soon after he became known throughout India. We are now very good friends.
This is Majuli island.
Since I was a child Majuli has been a place of wonder for me.
Once, I ran away from home and came here.
I spent days exploring and drawing pictures of the plants and animals.
To me Majuli is heaven.
Scientists recently announced that in 15-20 years Majuli island could be completely gone.
This is the forest mans home on Majuli island.
Every morning the forest mans family helps him prepare for his journey to the forest.
[motor boat engine starts]
[mobile phone ringtone plays]
Hello?
The forest man is being honoured in a nearby city.
Payeng has won dozens of awards for his incredible achievements.
But I think he feels frustrated by getting awards.
Local government has tried to get Majuli listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site
but their application has been rejected each time.
Payeng has many brilliant ideas about how to save Majuli.
He tells everyone his ideas but so far no one has adopted them.
Sometimes I wonder what 10, 100 or a thousand Payengs could do.
He once told me I worry about the fate of the world just like everyone.
I see bad things happening on my island and I do what I can to help.
I'm just a simple man. There are many just like me.
When I asked him if he thought Majuli could be saved he replied - Yes.