Title: Legal jurisprudence of solid waste management in India: development through the decades

Authors: Piu Das; Gouri Gargate

Addresses: Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India ' Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India

Abstract: Rapid industrialisation has led to an increase in urbanisation and per capita income. With reference to the environment, these two are the major reasons behind the increase in the generation of waste. The first legislation, Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, came into force in 2000. Now, the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, are in force, and alongside them, there are judicial precedents governing solid waste management in India. The National Green Tribunal, a quasi-judicial body established in 2010, is constantly keeping a check on the SWM in the country by providing the required directions and guidelines. This paper is an attempt to share the systematic chronological development of solid waste management (SWM) in India and the role of various government bodies, including the attempts by the judiciary to handle the future catastrophic effects that may affect the next generations. The authors have followed doctrinal research methodology.

Keywords: municipal solid waste; solid waste management; SWM; Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016; National Green Tribunal; NGT; environment; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2023.134083

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2023 Vol.22 No.2/3, pp.268 - 294

Received: 11 Sep 2022
Accepted: 28 Mar 2023
Published online: 10 Oct 2023 *

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