A Critical Analysis of Green Crimes and Environmental Justice in India

When forests disappear overnight, rivers grow increasingly polluted, or species are pushed toward extinction, the issue extends beyond environmental damage to questions of crime, accountability, and justice. In India, environmental degradation is often viewed as an administrative failure or regulatory gap rather than as a serious offence affecting society as a whole. With the rapid growth of a technology-driven world, development has increasingly been measured through industrial progress and economic indicators such as GDP. While such progress strengthens national capacity and global recognition, it has also intensified pressure on natural resources. At the same time, global discourse increasingly emphasizes sustainability and green industrialization, highlighting the need to balance economic growth with environmental protection. This concern has given rise to the field of green criminology, which examines crimes against the environment and the systems that allow such harm to continue. Activities such as wildlife trafficking, illegal resource extraction, and corporate pollution not only damage ecosystems but also threaten human health and long-term environmental stability. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume, and the soil that sustains life are increasingly exposed to contamination. This paper analyses environmental crimes in India through the perspective of green criminology, while also examining gaps in environmental jurisprudence and statutory law that allow such harms to persist. It argues for stronger legal and criminal responses to ensure environmental justice.