Fragmented Legal Accountability Failures In Urban Plastic Waste Management: A Comparative Study Of Delhi And Mumbai
- IJLLR Journal
- 1 hour ago
- 1 min read
Ishika Sinha, B.A.LL.B. (Hons.), MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
ABSTRACT
Despite an extensive statutory and constitutional framework, plastic waste governance in Delhi and Mumbai demonstrates persistent enforcement failure. The ongoing buildup and improper handling of plastic waste in many places point to systematic implementation flaws rather than a lack of legislation, even though there is a comprehensive statutory and constitutional framework governing plastic waste management.
This paper examines the issue of fragmented legal accountability that results from the division of statutory duties among state-level authorities, State Pollution Control Boards, and Municipal Corporations. The effective application of plastic waste management legislation has been undermined by this fragmentation, which has led to overlapping jurisdiction, unclear enforcement mandates, and decreased regulatory accountability. While municipal corporations retain operational control over collection and segregation, pollution control authorities exercise supervisory oversight, creating a governance structure marked by coordination deficits and diffused enforcement responsibility. A substantial gap exists between the normative strength of the legal framework and its practical enforcement at the city level, including municipal legislation, Plastic Waste Management Rules, and constitutional environmental requirements. Inadequate inter-institutional coordination, uneven compliance monitoring, and an excessive dependence on judicial intervention to rectify administrative shortcomings all contribute to this disparity.
This research paper adopts a doctrinal and comparative legal approach, constitutional mandates, and statutory laws regarding the legal framework governing plastic waste management in Delhi and Mumbai.
Keywords: Urban Environmental Governance, State Pollution Control Boards, Municipal Corporations, Plastic Waste Management Laws, Fragmented Legal Accountability
