57,670 environmental and pollution-related crimes committed in 2024, most covered by anti-tobacco laws

New Delhi: India reported 57,670 environment and pollution-related crimes in 2024, a 16.4 per cent decrease from the number of such crimes reported in 2023 (68,994), according to the latest India crime report released by the Ministry of Home Affairs’ National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).However, more than 80% (46,333 cases) of environmental and pollution-related crimes involved just one offense, breaching the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which prohibits advertising and regulates the trade, commerce, production, supply and distribution of such products.Of the 53,682 people arrested, 42,235 were charged under COTPA. In most cases, conviction results in the imposition of fines (environmental compensation) based on breaches of different green laws.The Noise Pollution Act had the second highest number of offenses (8,639), while the Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act had the third highest number of offenses (1,425) each. In total, nearly 98% of environmental and pollution-related offenses fall into these three categories.Under the Noise Pollution Act, Rajasthan accounted for more than 95% of such cases in 2024 – data shows that the state is proactive in filing complaints related to violations related to the use of high-decibel sound systems (speakers, DJ systems, etc.) during religious functions and wedding processions/celebrations.The NCRB report showed that Tamil Nadu registered the highest number of environment and pollution-related cases (26,475) in 2024, followed by Rajasthan (10,824), Kerala (9,143), Maharashtra (6,735) and Karnataka (1,214).Incidentally, Delhi Technological University, which faces an air pollution crisis every winter due to multiple violations of different nature, has not filed a single case under the Air Pollution Control Act, 1981, while the neighboring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have filed one case each under the Act despite facing hundreds of cases of stubble burning causing air pollution in the winter of 2024.Overall, a total of 18 cases were reported under the Air and Water Pollution Control Act in 2024 across all states and union territories, with Tamil Nadu alone reporting 50% (9) such cases.Violations of the Environmental (Protection) Law; Wildlife Protection Law; the other three responsible persons on the list reported 754, 497 and 4 cases respectively.