Advancing Sustainable Urban Development in India: Role of the National Green Tribunal

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-416-7_12How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sustainable Urban Development; National Green Tribunal (NGT); Environmental Governance; Pollution; SDG 11

Abstract

Sustainable urban development is a crucial aspect of environmental governance in India, given the challenges posed by rapid urbanization, pollution, and resource depletion. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) plays a vital role in ensuring compliance with environmental laws, regulating land use, and adjudicating disputes related to urban sustainability. This paper examines the legal frameworks governing sustainable urban development, focusing on the NGT’s interventions, challenges, and necessary reforms. The study adopts a doctrinal legal research approach to analyze key statutes such as the Environmental Protection Act, 1986; the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Through major case law analysis, the paper highlights NGT’s role in urban land regulation, air and water pollution control, and waste management, referencing landmark cases such as MC Mehta v. Union of India (2020), Vardhaman Kaushik v. Union of India (2016) etc. which are major contributor to the sustainable urban development. Despite its proactive stance, the NGT faces limitations such as weak enforcement mechanisms, jurisdictional conflicts, and lack of coordination with municipal and state authorities. The paper argues that expanding NGT’s jurisdiction, strengthening its punitive powers, and integrating climate resilience into urban planning are essential for enhancing its effectiveness. The findings suggest that while the NGT has strengthened environmental compliance and judicial oversight, its impact is constrained by systemic inefficiencies. Addressing these issues through legal and policy reforms is necessary to align India’s urban development with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11; ensuring cities are inclusive, safe, resilient, and environmentally sustainable.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Ritika Bhola
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/06/14
TI  - Advancing Sustainable Urban Development in India: Role of the National Green Tribunal
BT  - Proceedings of Innovative Multidisciplinary Approaches to Global Challenges: Sustainability, Equity, and Ethics in an Interconnected World (IMASEE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 253
EP  - 281
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-416-7_12
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-416-7_12
ID  - Bhola2025
ER  -