The Role of the Third Plague Pandemic in Colonial India as the Impetus for the Improvement Trusts and Urban Transformation in Bombay, Mysore, and Calcutta

Abstract

This paper explores the intersection of public health crises, urban planning, and colonial governance in British India during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the plague epidemic from 1896 to 1911. It examines improvement trusts as precursors to formal town planning, using archival reports, maps, and photographs. Case studies of Bombay, Mysore, and Calcutta reveal how these trusts undertook urban renewal projects such as slum clearance, infrastructure upgrades, and suburban expansion. However, these efforts often displaced marginalized communities, exacerbating housing shortages without providing adequate or affordable alternatives.Improvement trust interventions frequently demolished more housing than rebuilt, forcing displaced populations into peripheral areas with poor living conditions. These measures, framed as public health initiatives, prioritized colonial economic interests over social equity, perpetuated unsanitary environments, and deepened socio-economic inequalities. The 1896 plague marked a turning point, enabling sweeping changes to the urban fabric under the pretext of disease prevention. This study highlights how colonial administrations instrumentalized health crises to consolidate control, leaving a legacy of recurring housing crises and ingrained spatial inequalities. It highlights the intertwined roles of public health and urban interventions in promoting colonial agendas while disregarding the needs of vulnerable populations.