India’s Sustainability Crisis: A Systemic Failure of Governance
India, despite its grand rhetoric on sustainable development, is facing a sustainability crisis of alarming proportions. While the government often paints a progressive picture at global forums, the ground reality tells a different story—one marred by environmental degradation, urban chaos, policy inconsistencies, and institutional apathy.
Environmental Degradation: Policy on Paper, Pollution in Practice
India ranks among the worst in global environmental performance indices. Cities like Delhi and Kanpur consistently top charts for air pollution, yet enforcement of air quality regulations remains weak. Despite the “National Clean Air Programme” launched in 2019, pollution levels haven’t seen meaningful reduction.
Industries flout emission norms, construction dust continues unabated, and vehicular pollution is rampant. The government’s reluctance to impose strict penalties on violators reflects a lack of political will.
Forest and Biodiversity Loss: Lip Service to Conservation
In the name of development, India continues to divert forest land at a rapid pace. Projects like highways, mines, and dams are cleared without proper ecological impact assessments. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023 has diluted key protections, paving the way for unregulated exploitation. Indigenous communities are displaced, and critical ecosystems are under threat—yet the government pushes “green growth” narratives to the global audience.
Urban Sustainability: Collapsing Cities and Misplaced Priorities
India’s urban centres are collapsing under the weight of their own growth. Poor waste management, water scarcity, sewage overflows, and vanishing green spaces have become hallmarks of most metro cities. The Smart Cities Mission, launched with great fanfare, has largely failed to deliver tangible, inclusive results. Instead of sustainable infrastructure, the focus has remained on cosmetic beautification and corporatized urban planning.
Water Mismanagement: A Looming Catastrophe
India is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Groundwater depletion is critical in states like Punjab, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu. Despite warnings from NITI Aayog itself, there’s been no long-term strategy for water conservation. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan is riddled with bureaucratic inefficiencies and lacks community ownership. The government continues to promote water-guzzling crops and large dams while ignoring traditional water harvesting practices.
Renewable Energy Push: A Half-Baked Transition
While India boasts of its solar and wind energy targets, the transition remains uneven. Fossil fuel investments continue to rise, and coal is still king. Land acquisition for solar parks has triggered displacement and ecological damage in states like Rajasthan. Moreover, without a clear grid management policy, renewable energy remains vulnerable to wastage and inefficiency.
Climate Change Response: More Optics, Less Action
India has submitted its updated NDCs under the Paris Agreement, but adaptation measures on the ground are almost non-existent. Flood-prone regions like Assam and Uttarakhand suffer year after year, yet sustainable zoning and climate-resilient infrastructure remain missing. Disaster preparedness is reactive, not preventive. Funding for climate adaptation is grossly inadequate, and most projects suffer from red tape and corruption.
Sustainability Cannot Be Greenwashed
India’s sustainability efforts are caught in a paradox—global commitments are strong, but domestic action is weak. The government’s over-reliance on optics, PR campaigns, and selective data presentation masks the chronic failure in protecting natural resources, planning resilient cities, and empowering local communities.
If India truly wishes to walk the path of sustainability, it needs accountable leadership, science-backed policies, and most importantly, the political courage to prioritise the environment over short-term economic gains. Until then, the sustainability dream will remain just that—a dream.
