Tuesday, 28 February 2023, at 3:45 pm IST onwards

The event will be in hybrid mode at the CPR office (Conference Room, Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi) and over Zoom.

About the Talk:

This talk traces a historical trajectory of urbanism in India through a focus on atmospheric conditions. It will address how, from nineteenth century discourses of tropicality, germ theory and smoke nuisance to twenty first century experiences of the pandemic, air pollution, heat waves and extreme weather events in cities in India have been variously imagined and experienced through their atmospheres. The speaker shall present an account of some of these experiences through historical concerns around energy, efficiency and consumption on the one hand, and considerations of health and quality of life on the other.

About the Speaker:

Awadhendra Sharan is Director and Professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi. His research interests are in the fields of urban and environmental studies. He is the author of Dust and Smoke: Air Pollution and Colonial Urbanism, India, c.1860-c.1940 (Orient BlackSwan, 2020) and In the City, Out of Place: Nuisance, Pollution and Dwelling in Delhi, c. 1850-2000 (OUP, 2014). His ongoing research is on climate thinking and urbanism in India.

This is the hundred and fifty-six (156) in a series of Urban Workshops planned by the Centre de Sciences Humaines (CSH), New Delhi and Centre for Policy Research (CPR). These workshops seek to provoke public discussion on issues relating to the development of the city and try to address all its facets including its administration, culture, economy, society and politics. For further information, please contact: Stéphanie Tawa Lama of CSH at tawalama@ehess.fr, Mukta Naik at mukta@cprindia.org or Marie-Hélène Zerah at marie-helene.zerah@ird.fr