Bathinda: Environmental offences fell across the country in 2022 over 2021, but they rose in Punjab and Haryana, shows data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Monday.

Environmental offences fell in the country from 64,471 in 2021 to 52,920 in 2022, recording a decline of nearly 18%. In Punjab, these rose from 50 in 2021 to 60 in 2022, a rise of 20%.In Haryana, the figure rose from 35 in 2021 to 49 in 2022, up 40%. Even as cases fell from 163 in 2021 to 112 in 2022, Himachal Pradesh reported more cases than its neighbouring states.

When it comes to the rate of people committing environmental offences, Punjab and Haryana are better off than Himachal. Environmental offences committed in the two states is just 0.2% per lakh population. In Himachal, it is 1.5% per lakh population.
The data was released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Monday.

In 2022, of the 60 offences in Punjab, six were under Forest Conservation Act, 17 under Wildlife Protection Act, two cases under the Environmental Protection Act, one under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 33 cases under Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), and one under Noise Pollution Act.

Of the 49 cases in Haryana, five are under Forest Conservation Act, 10 under Wildlife Protection Act, one under Environmental Protection Act, nine under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 22 cases under COTPA and two cases under Noise Pollution Act. Of the 112 cases in Himachal, 100 are under Forest Conservation Act, nine under Wildlife Protection Act, and three under Noise Pollution Act. In Punjab, 88 persons were arrested in 2022 for such offences. The figure was 95 for Haryana and 108 for Himachal.