78% increase in environmental crimes in 2020: NCRB report  

Ground Report | New Delhi: 78% increase in environmental crimes; The latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the total crime cases in the country have increased by 28 percent in 2020 as compared to the previous year. But there has been a 78.1 percent increase in cases in the country in 2020 under the category of "environmental offences".

This is one of the highest increases in cases in various crime categories in 2020, excluding offenses related to COVID-19 rules and norms. Environment-related offenses include the Forest Act, the Forest Conservation Act, the Wildlife Protection Act, the Environment (Protection) Act, the Air and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, the Noise Pollution Act, and the National Green Tribunal Act. is included.

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78% increase in environmental crimes

A total of 61,767 cases were registered in the year 2020 in India under the environmental crime category. This is 78.1 percent more than the cases in 2019. This does not include 7,154 cases pending since 2019.

The state of Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of crimes related to the environment in the country. In 2020, the state recorded 42,756 cases which is more than three times the number of cases in 2019.

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In 2020, Rajasthan ranks second among the states with 9543 cases registered. In 2019, it was 10,782 cases. Uttar Pradesh comes third with 2,981 cases in 2020 while UP reported 1,882 cases in 2019.

49,710 cases of violation

One-fourth-fifth of the crimes related to the environment is cases registered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act. There were 49,710 cases of violation of this law or 80.5 percent of the total cases related to the environment in 2020.

Both the central and state governments account for the second-largest number of cases involving violation of noise pollution control laws in matters related to the environment. These violations account for 11.8 percent of the total cases.

At the same time, 2,287 cases were registered under the Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act. Uttar Pradesh (UP) registered the highest number of 1,317 cases in the country under this law. A total of 672 cases were registered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in which UP had the highest number of 185 cases, followed by Rajasthan with 151 cases.

Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, 992 cases were registered in the country, with UP reporting the highest number of 841 cases.

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