39 Striking Street Photos By Shanth Kumar

LINING THEM UP: A woman worker hangs up customers’ jeans to dry at Dhobi Ghat in Mahalakshmi.

Badhwar Park beach is littered with mounds of plastic waste that has been washed ashore by the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, observed as world environment day . The sea throws back what you throw in.

A cat is seen being carried in a pet backpack, as it enjoys the journey at Dadar market in Mumbai and the view outside while not having to move a toe.

A tourist on a boat headed to Alibaug feeds a seagull near Gateway of India in Mumbai.

A boy attends school online while sleeping on a plastic traffic barricade on a street in Mumbai. Schools in Maharashtra are still shut as part of the Government's fight against Covid-19.

A woman selling colorful balloons at Girgaum Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai.

Vast throngs of people gathered to pay homage to their deceased ancestors through prayer and food offerings on the last day of Pitru Paksh at Walkeshwar, Banganga in Mumbai on Wednesday, October 2024. In Hinduism, hair is a symbol of purity and devotion. Many Hindus believe that hair represents one’s connection to the divine. It is common for Hindus to offer their hair as a form of sacrifice or penance during religious rituals

A boy playing around with his pet pullet at a beach in Mumbai.

Joy ride : A man carries his dog for ride on his motor bike.

Escaping the Heat: In the heart of Mumbai’s scorching heat, resourceful young boys find solace in an unlikely sanctuary—a discarded mattress perched atop a tree. A moment of resilience and creativity amidst the challenges of urban life.

A ragpicker collects plastic bottles and other waste from heaps of litter washed ashore at Badhwar Park, Colaba, Mumbai. This growing accumulation of plastic pollution along the city’s coastline poses a serious threat to marine life, local ecosystems, and public health. Experts warn that if urgent waste management and cleanup measures are not implemented, the delicate coastal environment could face long-term damage, disrupting biodiversity and impacting livelihoods dependent on fishing and tourism. The scene underscores the urgent need for stronger environmental policies and community action to address Mumbai’s mounting plastic crisis.

Bandra’s slums were hit by a brutal 4.78-meter high tide that didn’t just flood homes, it tore apart pavements, shattered any sense of safety, and left behind a trail of destruction.

What you see in these images isn’t just water damage; it’s a stark reminder of how exposed and forgotten our coastal communities are in the face of climate extremes. This isn’t just nature’s fury; it’s human neglect.

STATE PROMISED TO ERADICATE PRACTICE: This is a scene from Dadar flower market Monday at around noon. Though a 2013 law outlawed manual scavenging, the practice continues unabated in the country, including in its financial capital. Earlier this year, the Bombay high court, hearing a PIL, sought details from the state on the status of manual scavenging. Last month, the government informed the court that 81 people have died because of the practice in Mumbai and its neighborhood in recent years and that the state had to pay over Rs 8 crore in compensation. The government also promised the court that it would eradicate manual scavenging. Clearly, that has not come to pass.

Innocent humanity.

A BMC worker scavanges beer cans and bottles from the nooks inside the tetrapods that are used to prevent erosion by the sea on Versova beach. Sea pollution is a major concern around the world, endangering sea life.

Whipped by the wild waves! A large wave lashes people during high tide on the Bandra sea front, on Wednesday in Mumbai.

An 8-year-old street performer walks a tightrope against the afternoon skyline of Mumbai’s Worli, Parel, balancing high above traffic as the sun flares behind her—a stark glimpse into the realities of childhood labor in the city.

A sudden burst of pre-monsoon showers swept across Mumbai on Tuesday evening, drenching neighborhoods. Thunder growled in the distance, lightning cut across the sky, and streets shimmered under the heavy rain.

In Chembur, a lone tortoise made its slow journey across a rain-soaked road, unfazed by the storm around it in a quiet symbol of resilience. Meanwhile, a young boy stood gazing at the ominous sky, moments before the clouds broke open.

As Mumbai slowly escapes the grips of Covid-19, a low key Diwali celebration is expected this year. A stray cat finds shelter under a cupboard on the street in Kumbharwada, Dharavi.

Over the years, air pollution in Mumbai has been on the rise. With levels reaching PM2.5 AQI 208 levels, if we do not start asking why we should breathe this air, now, it might be too late. With the pollution from vehicles and burning waste and energy, Mumbai’s lungs are choking.

An unexpected and special passenger during a rainy day in the streets of India.

In an audacious attempt, India performed its first-ever total bilateral or double-arm transplant - a major achievement in the surgical history of India. This is a first person account of photojournalist SL Shanth Kumar narrated as he went through the journey of the patient.

Imagine having lost both your arms in an accident in your sophomore years on the verge of adulthood. Add to it the predicaments of a proletariat family, and it is the perfect recipe for a tragic saga. This is exactly what happened to the erstwhile 18-year-old Prema. In the middle of 2008, during his summer holidays, he decided to help his family by working at a power station in his village and make some extra money. During that stint, in an unfortunate accident on June 28, Prema ended up losing both his arms, at the shoulder level, as 11000 volts passed through his arms and upper body.

Luckily for Prema, his life could be saved, but both his arms had to be amputated at the shoulders. In India, the concept of limb replacement is still not widespread. Considering the cost involved, along with the risk to life, people who have lost a single limb usually make do with their situation. Also, the post-operative care is expensive and exhaustive. Another important factor is that there are not many organ donors. For a double-arm replacement, the risks and other factors are just twice as much.

For Prema, the above factors worked out, and he also gained Dr. Satbhai as his confidante. Dr. Satbhai is a Plastic Reconstruction Surgeon, and he has been exposed to limb replacement for quite some time now. But doing a bilateral or double arm transplant was still a daunting task, as it had hitherto never been attempted in India. He decided to rise up to the occasion nevertheless.

A broom stick seller and his young daughter share a moment under an umbrella turned upside down by strong winds near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai on Monday. Despite the heavy rain, the man continued his day’s work as the city braced for more downpours under a developing low-pressure system along the Konkan coast.

The Mumbai crowpati. A woman feeds crows on a promenade in Mumbai.

At Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, children battling cancer find healing beyond medicine through daily yoga sessions. Held every morning at 9:30 AM, these hour-long classes, run by IMPaCCT Foundation in collaboration with Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute, offer young patients emotional relief, improved sleep, and renewed strength. Guided by trained instructors, the program blends ancient tradition with modern science, giving families moments of peace amid intense treatment. For many, yoga is more than exercise, it’s hope, resilience, and joy. As music, dance, and play follow each session, these young warriors reclaim a piece of childhood, one breath at a time.

A man tries to control his umbrella amid heavy rain and gusty wind in Mumbai on July 23, 2024.

An artificial crane bird is silhouetted against the moon, the wolf moon, the first full moon of 2025, was visible in Mumbai on January 14, 2025 at around 3:57 AM. It was visible for a few nights, from Sunday evening into Wednesday morning.

Two bullocks, each with both front limbs fractured, have been admitted to the animal hospital at Parel. Hospital officials expressed suspicion that the bullocks suffered injury after being forced into racing. A third bovine, which had been brought in in “very bad” condition died Friday morning. Both the bullocks have been admitted to the cattle ward, with their front limbs bandaged. One of them is unable to stand and has been lying in a prostrate position. The other is being made to stand in a makeshift sling. “Both bovines would be in pain,” said Dr Mayur Dangar, the manager of BSPCA.

Mumbai: Heavy rains continued to lash Mumbai between July 19-20. Rainfall data logged over three days (July 17-20) indicates that south Mumbai received 326mm of rains in a 72-hour span. In the 24 hours ending 8:30am on Saturday, July 20, rainfall recorded by the IMD Colaba observatory was 111mm, while the IMD Santa Cruz observatory recorded 93mm rainfall. Meanwhile, intense rain activity was reported on the morning of July 20, as per the IMD’s automatic weather stations.