According to the most recent Crime in India report published this week by the home ministry's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), India recorded 68,994 environmental crimes in 2023, more than 30% more than the 52,920 total registered in 2022.
However, the Cigarette and Other Tobacco items Act, 2003, which forbids advertising and governs trade, commerce, manufacturing, supply, and distribution of such items, accounts for about 86% (59,279) of offenses relating to the environment.The report shows that the highest number of overall environment related crime was reported in Tamil Nadu (41,304) followed by Kerala (8,786), Rajasthan (7,794), Maharashtra (4,854) and Uttar Pradesh (1,804).
Offences under Noise Pollution Act, and Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act figure at second and third position with reporting 6,640 and 2,076 crimes, respecti
vely.
The other offences were reported under the Wildlife Protection Act (526), the Environmental Protection Act (389), and Air and Water Pollution control law (68) among others
Sixteen cases were reported under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010, of which all these cases were filed in Meghalaya.
The vast majority only pertain to crimes and offenses connected to tobacco under the Noise Pollution Act, even though chargesheets were filed in almost 98% of the environment related cases, which ultimately reported a higher rate of conviction compared to other cases filed under the IPC and special and local laws (SLL).
The conviction rate for the remaining environmental offenses was quite low, with the exception of offenses covered by these two Acts.
The Delhi UT, which experiences an annual winter air pollution crisis as a result of numerous infractions of various kinds, did not bring any cases under the Air Pollution Control Act in 2023.
Even though its neighbor Haryana filed three legal reports, Punjab, which also observes violations of the Act on stubble burning, did not submit a single instance.
According to data on offenses, Uttar Pradesh had the most cases (1,282) pertaining to crimes involving forests in 2023, followed by Rajasthan (232), Himachal Pradesh (141), Jharkhand (139), and Karnataka (98).
