The British had white skin. So they were often called the ‘white’. They suffered from the white man’s burden and considered themselves as superior to others. On the other hand, the blacks had brown or black skin. So they were called as the ‘black’ such as the Indians or Africans. Thus white signified the superiority over the black.

According to the British, the black areas symbolised chaos and anarchy, tilth and disease. On the other hand, the white areas stood for cleanliness and hygiene. In Black areas, epidemics like cholera and plague often spread. So the British took stringent measures to ensure sanitation and public health. They wanted to prevent diseases of the black areas. So they ensured underground piped water supply. They also introduced sewerage and drainage system. In other words, the British paid a lot of attention towards sanitary vigilance.

Thus white towns were those parts of the colonial cities where the white people lived. The cantonment areas were also developed at safe places. They had wide roads, barracks, churches and parade ground. Besides they had big bungalows in big gardens. In fact, the White Town symbolised settled city life. But in the Black Town, the Indians lived. They were unorganised. They were source of filth and disease.