Environmental Crimes Vis- A-Vis Socio Economic Offences

Abstract

The relationship between humans and the environment is an inseparable one. The interaction between human being and environment is from time immoral. It is one of the healthiest and important relation and at the same time very complex. The meaning and definition of term Environment cannot be confined only to the plants, air and animals surrounding us, but it should be understood in wider connotation. As it includes the environmental milieu in which we live.

Though human beings are regularly altering the environment from time to time for their own needs and greed, we have started misusing our surroundings, not just individual for his limited uses, but even corporations have indulged in practices which directly affect the environment. Illegal sand mining, waste disposal by companies, unethical mining practices and constructions activities are such few example which directly affect the environment.

These practices in turn are not just environmental crimes, but are a direct cause for socio-economic offences, as they are not just a threat to environment, but to society as a whole and at the same time causes grave economic losses to the nation. Socio-economic crimes go against National Economy and National Interest and are committed with unruffled calculation and deliberate design, it is committed with the motive of personal gain regardless of the consequences to the society. These environmental crimes perfectly fit into the definition of the socio-economic offences. They are committed with a concentrated action, with a sole aim to earn more money in complete disregard to the society. These crimes are very heinous in nature as they not just injure the present, but also the future, as it has a long-lasting effect on the future generations as well.

Though we have sufficient legislations for the environment protection and socio-economic offences, but the gravity of these crimes has increased to that level, where these crimes should not be dealt in isolation, rather than focused action should be taken for these unethical mistreatment, not just by the big corporations, but also, the medium, small and individual act should not be left behind. Thus, it becomes important that the dimensions of the socio-economic offences should be expanded and environmental crimes must take an important place and to be dealt accordingly.

The proposed chapter will study the environmental crimes in light of socio-economic offences and will also study the important environment judgments on environment protection and how they affected our economy and the society.