What transformative effects does a multimillion-dollar industry have on
those who work within it? The Industrial Ephemeral presents the untold
stories of the people, politics, and production chains behind
architecture, real estate, and construction in areas surrounding New
Delhi, India. The personal histories of those in India's large laboring
classes are brought to life as Namita Vijay Dharia discusses the
aggressive environmental and ecological metamorphosis of the region in
the twenty-first century. Urban planning and architecture are messy
processes that intertwine migratory pathways, corruption politics, labor
struggle, ecological transformations, and technological development.
Rampant construction activity produces an atmosphere of ephemerality in
urban regions, creating an aesthetic condition that supports industrial
political economy. Dharia's brilliant analysis of the sensibilities and
experiences of work lends visibility to the struggle of workers in an
era of growing urban inequality.