Lok Sabha Question No. 1892 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: Environment Related Offences
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: P. Velusamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 1892

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 14.03.2022

## Environment Related Offences

1892.   SHRI VELUSAMY P.:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of cases registered for environment-related offences has increased in 2020  compared  to  the  previous  year  as  per  the  Crime  in  India  report  released  by  the National Crime Records Bureau;
- (b) if so, the number of cases registered during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) the  number  of  offences  registered  under  Noise  Pollution  Act  and  Cigarettes  and  other tobacco products Act, out of the above said cases; and
- (d) the steps taken to prevent violation under ForestAct?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b)

The Crime in India report released for 2020 indicates that the number of cases registered for environment-related offences has increased from 34676 in 2019 to 61767 in 2020.

Details of total no. environmental offenses registered from 2017 to 2020 are given below:

| Crime head                               |   2017 |   2018 |   2019 |   2020 |
|------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Total cases registered for investigation |  44808 |  41441 |  40968 |  68921 |

(c)

Out  of  the  total,  the  number  of  offences  registered  under  the  Noise  Pollution  Act  and Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act are given below:

|   S.N. | Crime head                                   |   2017 |   2018 |   2019 |   2020 |
|--------|----------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
|      1 | Noise Pollution Acts                         |   8574 |   8075 |   8689 |   7482 |
|      2 | The Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act |  30784 |  28282 |  27407 |  55251 |

The Forest authorities of State Governments / Union Territory Administrations are mandated to take appropriate action to prevent violation under the Forest Act, 1927. As mandated, the Wildlife Crime  Control  Bureau  has  taken  the  steps  to  prevent  illegal trafficking of endangered  animals/wildlife  species  and  to  conserve  wild  flora  and  fauna  of  the  country: which inter-alia include  (i)  Joint  operations  with  State  enforcement  agencies  to  apprehend criminals  involved  in  smuggling,  (ii)  Capacity  building  for  Forests  &  Police  Officials  on investigation of Wildlife cases under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, (iii)    Sensitization  programs  for  the  officials  of  Border  Guarding  Forces,  Customs,  Central Industrial  Security  Force  (CISF),  Judicial  officers,  RPF,  GRP  and  other stake holders,  (iv) Sensitization  of  representatives  of  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  and  awareness  programs  for students  and  members  of  public  on  the  importance  of  wildlife  and  their  role  to  combat wildlife crime, (v) Issuing alerts and advisories on poaching and illegal trade of wildlife to the concerned State and Central agencies for preventive action, (vi) Organized Inter-Agency meetings for coordination of inter-agency enforcement efforts in combating illegal wildlife crime,  (vii)  Participation  in  the  Investigation  Support  Meetings  (ISM)  of  the  concerned enforcement agencies of India and neighbouring countries for working on the cross border linkages involved through the support of INTERPOL.

Apart from this the Bureau is regularly envisaging, planning, coordinating and conducting a number of specific enforcement operations with coordination of State Enforcement Agencies to  invite  attention  of  all  the  enforcement  agencies  throughout  the  country  towards  killing, poaching and illegal trade of live animals.

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