MEVE 016: Unit 11 – Laws and Policies Pertaining to Urban Environment
UNIT 11: LAWS AND POLICIES PERTAINING TO URBAN ENVIRONMENT
Urban environments
face various challenges such as solid waste mismanagement, traffic congestion,
unsafe food, unplanned urban sprawl, slum growth, and displacement. Legal and policy
frameworks play a crucial role in addressing these problems through governance,
regulation, and planning mechanisms.
This unit outlines
the significant laws and policies enacted in India to manage the urban
environment efficiently. It includes regulations on waste management, food
safety, vehicular emissions, urban expansion, slum development, and
rehabilitation, ensuring a sustainable and equitable urban future.
11.1 Objectives
After studying this
unit, learners will be able to:
- Understand key
environmental and urban management laws in India.
- Explain the role
of the Solid Waste Management Rules in maintaining urban hygiene.
- Analyze the
importance of regulatory frameworks such as the Essential Commodities Act,
Motor Vehicles Act, and Food Safety Act.
- Discuss the
causes and implications of urban sprawl and policies to manage it.
- Identify slum
redevelopment and rehabilitation policies and their significance.
11.2 Municipal Solid
Waste (Management and Handling Rules, 2000)
11.2.1 Objective of
SWM Laws
The Solid Waste
Management Rules (2000, revised in 2016) were enacted to:
- Ensure proper
segregation, collection, and disposal of municipal waste.
- Minimize
environmental and health impacts from untreated solid waste.
- Involve urban
local bodies, private entities, and citizens in waste management.
11.2.2 Definition of
Waste
Under these rules:
- Municipal Solid
Waste
includes residential, commercial, institutional, and street wastes such as
kitchen waste, packaging materials, papers, plastics, and garden debris.
- It excludes
hazardous, biomedical, and industrial waste.
11.2.3 Parameters of
Management of Municipal Waste
Key responsibilities
include:
- Segregation at
source
(wet/dry/hazardous).
- Door-to-door
collection
by urban local bodies.
- Transportation of waste in
covered vehicles.
- Treatment through
composting, recycling, or energy recovery.
- Landfilling of inert and
non-recyclable waste.
11.2.4 Ancillary
Rules in India for SWM
- Plastic Waste
Management Rules (2016)
- Bio-Medical
Waste Rules (2016)
- Hazardous and Other
Waste Rules (2016)
- Construction and
Demolition Waste Management Rules (2016)
These rules
supplement the SWM regulations by targeting specific waste streams.
11.3 Essential
Commodities Act, 1955
This Act empowers the
government to regulate the production, supply, and distribution of essential
goods, including food, fuel, and medicines.
Relevance to the
urban environment:
- Prevents black
marketing during urban crises.
- Ensures food
security in cities during disasters or lockdowns.
- Controls prices
and availability of essential items.
11.4 Motor Vehicles
Act, 1988
This Act regulates
road transport and vehicular pollution in India.
Environmental
provisions:
- Mandatory pollution
under control (PUC) certification.
- Vehicle emission
standards
(e.g., BS-VI norms).
- Regulations for public
transport systems, road safety, and non-motorized transport.
- Helps reduce air
pollution, a major urban health hazard.
11.5 Food Safety and
Standards Act, 2006
Administered by the FSSAI
(Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), the Act ensures the
availability of safe and hygienic food in urban markets.
Key aspects:
- Licensing and
monitoring of food vendors, eateries, and food factories.
- Regular
inspections and product recalls.
- Ensures urban
food security through standardized food labeling, adulteration
checks, and food fortification.
11.6 Policies on
Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl refers
to the unplanned and uncontrolled expansion of cities into peripheral rural
areas.
11.6.1 Urban Areas,
Urban Growth and Sprawling
- Driven by
population growth, housing demand, and economic expansion.
- Often leads to
loss of agricultural land, congestion, and infrastructure strain.
11.6.2 Urban Sprawl
as a Process of Land-use Change
- Involves
conversion of open or agricultural land into urban uses.
- Characterized by
low-density, fragmented, and automobile-dependent development.
11.6.3 Governance
Structures
- Urban Local
Bodies (ULBs) and metropolitan development authorities are responsible for
regulating land use.
- State
governments control land acquisition, zoning, and infrastructure
expansion.
11.6.4 Planning
Matters
- Implementation
of Master Plans, Zonal Plans, and Regional Plans is
essential.
- Use of land
use zoning to regulate commercial, residential, and green spaces.
11.6.5 Approaches to
Model the Dynamics of Urban Sprawl
- Remote sensing
and GIS
for monitoring land cover changes.
- Urban growth
models
(e.g., SLEUTH, CA models) to simulate future growth.
11.6.6 Indian
Government Policies to Check Urban Sprawling
- National Urban
Policy Framework (NUPF)
- Smart Cities
Mission
- Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
- Transit-oriented
development (TOD) strategies.
11.7 Slum and Slum
Control
11.7.1 Introduction
& Definition of Slum
According to the
Census of India:
"Slums are
residential areas unfit for human habitation due to dilapidation, overcrowding,
poor sanitation, or lack of basic services."
11.7.2 Policies &
Programs Launched in India for Slum Clearance
- Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)
- Pradhan
MantriAwasYojana – Urban (PMAY-U)
- Rajiv AwasYojana
(RAY)
- Basic Services
for the Urban Poor (BSUP)
11.7.3 Redevelopment
of Slums
Slum redevelopment
aims to:
- Provide formal
housing, sanitation, and electricity.
- Improve quality
of life and reduce vulnerability.
- Regularize and
legalize informal settlements.
11.7.4 Slum
Redevelopment Models
- In-situ
development:
Redevelopment at the same site with vertical housing.
- Relocation: Shifting slum
dwellers to alternate housing (often on the periphery).
- Public-Private
Partnerships (PPP): Involving private developers with state
incentives.
11.8 Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation
addresses displacement caused by urban development projects (e.g.,
infrastructure, dam construction, slum clearance).
11.8.1 Objectives of
the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy (NRRP), 2007
- Minimize
displacement and ensure proper rehabilitation.
- Provide
compensation, housing, livelihood, and social amenities.
- Safeguard rights
of vulnerable groups like women, SC/STs, and minorities.
11.8.2 Social Impact
Assessment (SIA)
- Mandatory for
large-scale projects under the Right to Fair Compensation and
Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
- Assesses the
impact on displaced families and their environment.
- Informs
decision-making and mitigation strategies.
11.8.3 Rehabilitation
and Resettlement Plan
- Includes details
of affected families, compensation, alternative land, housing, employment
opportunities, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
11.9 Let Us Sum Up
This unit highlighted
the legal and policy landscape shaping urban environmental governance in India.
Key regulations like the SWM Rules, Motor Vehicles Act, and FSS Act focus on
specific urban problems, while urban sprawl policies and slum rehabilitation
programs tackle spatial, social, and infrastructural issues.
Effective urban
management requires integration of laws, policies, and local participation to
ensure sustainability, inclusiveness, and resilience.
11.10 Key Words
- Solid Waste
Management (SWM): Rules for handling urban waste.
- PUC: Pollution
Under Control certification for vehicles.
- Urban Sprawl: Unplanned
expansion of urban areas.
- FSSAI: Regulatory
body for food safety in India.
- Slum
Redevelopment: Process of improving slum living
conditions.
- Rehabilitation: Process of
resettling displaced people with necessary support.
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