Environmental Administration

Population explosion, urbanization, industrialisation, excessive use of natural resources particularly non-renewable, changing life styles, etc., is effecting environmental balance. It is in this context environmental consideration began to receive priority both in policy-making, planning and programming and implementation. Beginning with the Conference on Human Environment convened by United Nations at Stockholm in 1972, there has been considerable international attention on the subject. The debates and discussions culminated in the Rio Conference, in 1992. The Rio Declaration on Environmental and Development was the result of consensus and political commitment in international cooperation on development and environmental issues. It led to enormous increase in public awareness all over the world. Another achievement of Rio Conference was Agenda 21, which is a blue print for global action to achieve sustainable development in India also, thus there is considerable awareness on environmental issues both in Government and Non-Government Sectors. What is needed, however is awareness, commitment and initiative and participation on the part of community as well as implementing agencies to protect and promote environment. The study is organized into nine chapters. Chapter one deals with conceptual aspects, review of literature, objective of the study, scope and methodology. Chapter two deals with environment policy and laws and Chapter three deals with administrative organization at national, state, regional and district levels. Chapter four highlights the role of judiciary in protecting environment through presentation of case laws. Chapter Five to Eight can be considered as substantive chapter, each dealing with environmental pollution in urban and rural areas, citizen’s awareness and response to environmental issues and administration. Last and concluding chapter highlights the major conclusions, emanating from the study and includes several recommendations. Most important aspect of the last chapter in inclusion of a list of topics for further research. Not withstanding the limitations, the study makes a beginning to study environmental administrative set up and examines the response of different actors particularly the community towards various aspects of environmental administration.