For about a decade, many debates have focused on population growth, from schools’ favorite themes for summer essay assignments, to the government’s promotion of having an “ideal” family to ministers’ attempts to implement family control reforms.
In his foreword to the World Cities Report 2022, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that urban areas currently contain 55 percent of the world’s population, with that figure expected to rise to 68 percent by 2050. The report emphasizes how a growing population demands excellent urban and territorial planning to counteract the negative environmental impacts of future urban expansion, which may contribute to global warming and intensify climate change.
According to the research, India’s urban population would reach 675,456,000 in 2035, up from 483,099,000 in 2020, 542,743,000 in 2025, and 607,342,000 in 2030. By 2035, 43.2 percent of India’s population would live in urban areas.[1]
A growing population will increase energy use and all forms of pollution. We use a lot of resources, including land, food, water, air, fossil fuels, and minerals, since there are so many people in the world. Consumption also results in the dumping of harmful chemicals, water and air pollutants, and greenhouse gases. 
It is important to comprehend that natural resources are scarce and rapidly depleting. Though urbanization is frequently seen as the way forward, it is also a source of pollution. We cannot deem cities ideal unless they take responsibility for making living more sustainable. Net-zero emissions need subnational and city-level action as well. As a result, governments at all levels must recognize and support cities’ involvement in the net zero transition. Different levels of government and organizations should create well policies through international collaborations. We cannot dismiss the essential importance of nature-based solutions in ensuring greener futures.[2]
The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) for 2019–21 reported that the fertility ratio of the nation has been steadily declining[3]; while this emphasizes the biological effect pollution has on human health, it is also a sign that India’s population has also been impacted and slowed. Ironic that the population boom set off this pollution cycle, which eventually hurts population fertility rates.
Fertility Rate below Replacement Level
Img Source:CounterCurrents
This article does, however, finish on a hopeful note: cities are being a fusion of green and technology, thanks to more awareness and improved urban planning. Aware citizens are increasingly switching to sustainable products. Governments are enacting measures to better manage waste and promote clean living.