Industrial heritage of central India

Abstract

Industrial Heritage(IH) is a fairly new term when compared with other types of Cultural Heritage. It is especially true in the case of India, where Industrialization is still an ongoing process, unlike in the west, where a lot of de-industrialization has taken place. Though slowly, but steady de-industrialization has started in the mega cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. Other industrial centres have and are following suit. Hence, there is an urgent need to take a stock of the sheer wealth of built heritage that lies within the country presenting a continuous history of technological heritage. Along with the built structures, its intangible aspects i.e the process of manufacturing, social life of the workers etc. also play an important role in understanding of Industry as heritage. De-industrialization and rapid urban growth have created tremendous pressure on the industrial heritage sites, some of which are being completely demolished and used for making residential apartments to fulfil growing housing demands. The aim of the thesis is to highlight the gaps in protection and issues of IH in India and suggest recommendations for IH to take its place as an expression of a shared past – the 'physical' form as well as the people involved.