NEW DELHI: India reported 68,994 environment-related crimes in 2023 which is over 30% higher than the total number of such crimes (52,920) reported in 2022, shows the latest Crime in India report released by the home ministry's National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) this week.

Nearly 86% (59,279) of environment-related crimes, however, pertain to only one offence -- the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 that prohibits advertisement and regulates trade, commerce, production, supply and distribution of such products.

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, respectively. 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.

Though chargesheets were filed in nearly 98% of the environment-related cases which eventually reported higher rate of conviction compared to other cases filed under IPC and special and local laws (SLL), an overwhelming majority relate to only tobacco-linked offences and crimes under the Noise Pollution Act. Other than crimes under these two Acts, the conviction rate in the remaining environment-related offences was quite low.

The UT of Delhi, which faces air pollution crisis every year during winter due to multiple violations of different nature, did not file a single case under the Air Pollution Control Act in 2023. Though its neighbour Haryana reported three cases under the law, Punjab that witnesses violation on stubble burning issues too did not file a single case under the Act.

Offence-wise data shows that Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number (1,282) of cases under forest-related crimes followed by Rajasthan (232), Himachal Pradesh (141), Jharkhand (139) and Karnataka (98) in 2023.