Poona public works department records: unwritten ground realities of colonial construction (EAP1678)

This project will create the first digital archive of the sub-provincial Public Works Department (PWD) records from British India. The Pune Public Works Region collection (1840-1960) includes architectural drawings, files and an old reference library. These materials reveal “on-ground” colonial construction practices of important public buildings. They include contracts, correspondence, administrative lists, service books and labour reports that highlight subaltern agencies in colonial construction projects. Books and journals offer insights into the department’s internal working culture. Although this collection is of immense research value and may benefit ongoing building conservation efforts, the records are deteriorating, uncatalogued, vulnerable to water and dust, and at risk of disposal. While there is more government funding available in India for ancient cultural manuscripts, other material such as colonial administrative archives remains overlooked. Supported by the Chief Engineer, this digitisation effort will preserve fragile materials, provide online access and set a precedent for safeguarding local government colonial archives for multidisciplinary research.