Environmental Governance and Power Relations in Urban Solid Waste Management: Evidence From India

Abstract

This study analyses how environmental governance and power dynamics influence urban Solid Waste Management (SWM) in India. Despite a multi-level governance system involving national ministries, state agencies, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), private contractors, and informal waste actors, inefficiencies persist. Using a qualitative case study with 25 interviews with municipal officials, authorities, private operators, environmental groups, experts, and waste workers, the thematic analysis shows that SWM issues are less technological and more rooted in fragmented mandates, poor inter-agency coordination, and unequal power relations. Centralized control over legislation, funding, and regulation limits municipal autonomy, while weak municipal capacity hampers oversight of private contractors and PPPS. These asymmetries lead to unequal services, favouring affluent areas. Overlapping policies and unclear roles cause accountability and implementation problems. Informal waste workers, vital to recycling, are largely excluded from formal governance. The study highlights the need for better coordination, clearer roles, improved municipal capacity, and inclusive governance, enriching environmental scholarship through a power-relational analysis in India.