It is expected that by 2030 about half of the Indian population will be residing in urban areas. This pace of urbanization is already being accompanied by problems of water supply, sewage disposal, municipal waste, the lack of open landscaped spaces, air and water pollution, and public transport, along with others. Most of these environmental problems have their origin in unplanned development of cities leading to higher use of resources such as land and water. Many times, there is not even consensus as to which challenges are more important and need to be addressed. It is therefore necessary to have an understanding of India’s serious urban environmental challenges along with empirical evidence, to enable policymakers to examine them. Leading urban environmental challenges India faces major environmental challenges in Indian cities as follows: 1. Changes in land use/land cover: As urban population increases, the demand of land for various urban activities also increases. Forests need to be cleared,grasslands ploughed or grazed, wetlands drained and croplands are encroached upon due to expanding cities.