Urbanisation And Ecological Balance: Constitutional Mandates For Sustainable Environmental Governance In India
- IJLLR Journal
- Aug 15
- 1 min read
Nithin Rajeev, Assistant Professor, Dayananda Sagar University
ABSTRACT
India’s cities are experiencing unprecedented demographic and spatial growth, accompanied by a steep rise in environmental pressures. Rapid urbanisation—driven by industrial expansion, migration from rural regions, and population concentration—has brought both economic opportunity and ecological strain. The Global Cities Report identifies India as home to 17 of the world’s 20 fastest-growing urban centres, while United Nations forecasts suggest Delhi will be the most populous city by 2028, with the country adding the largest number of urban residents by 2050. These trends pose significant risks to air quality, resource availability, and public health, challenging the constitutional guarantee under Article 21 to a life of dignity in a clean and healthy environment.
India’s environmental commitments are embedded not only in a series of statutes—the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; Water Act, 1974; Forest Conservation Act, 1980; Air Act, 1981; and Environment Protection Act, 1986—but also in the Constitution itself, through Articles 48A and 51A(g) introduced by the Forty-Second Amendment. Nevertheless, weak enforcement, fragmented urban planning, and inadequate infrastructure have fuelled deforestation, waste accumulation, water and air pollution, heat stress, and unregulated settlement growth. This paper argues for an urgent recalibration of urban policy to integrate ecological priorities, recommending stronger legal compliance mechanisms, fiscal and regulatory incentives, and greater public engagement to ensure that urban growth strengthens, rather than undermines, environmental resilience.
