Bengal was among the poorest-performing states in taking action on key environmental agendas last year, a recent report has revealed.
The report titled “State of India’s Environment 2026: In Figures”, prepared by the magazine Down to Earth linked to environmental think tank Centre for Science (CSE) and Environment, found that Bengal ranked 24th among 28 states, followed by Punjab, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan in the green performance sector during 2024-25.
“Number helps us understand trends — what is shaping our world and future; what is changing; what is improving; and what is not,” CSE head Sunita Narain told The Telegraph.
The report published on Thursday shows Goa topped the chart with 66.69 per cent, followed by Assam and Andhra Pradesh, while Bengal scored 47.07 per cent.
The number has been allotted based on four parameters — climate, forest and biodiversity, waste management and water resources — and Bengal recorded a moderate or poor performance in all sectors.
“The finding is consistent with our experiences. Bengal has not done well in the environmental sector with umpteen violations,” said environment activist Naba Dutta, who leads Sabuj Mancha, a platform of environmental outfits.
“From noise rule violation to sandmining; from filling up waterbodies to felling trees in the name of development by vested interest lobby, often tactically supported by a section of politicians and administrators, the attack on the environment was rampant over the years. It was initiated during the Left rule but multiplied manifold during the Trinamool era. I wish the new government won’t be sucked into the same cycle,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, an environmental activist and a former chief law officer of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board.
According to recent National Crime Record Bureau data, Bengal is one of the laggards in enforcing environmental laws, despite violations mounting over the years.
Out of 57,670 environment offences recorded nationally in 2024-25, only 97 were in Bengal. Yet the rate of filing chargesheets, even within the minuscule number of recorded environment offences, is only 74.2 per cent against the national average of 98.2 per cent.
“Can you believe that while we experience noise violation almost every day, data show that there was only one case recorded against noise violation in the state within a year? The new state government is thinking about imposing noise norms. I just hope that it walks the talk and the number of recorded cases will rise,” another expert said.
Swapan Dasgupta, a cabinet minister in the new BJP government in Bengal, on Friday lamented past administrative and political oversights that damaged Bengal’s crucial green assets. He pointed out how the Sundarbans, East Kolkata Wetlands, Rabindra Sarobar and the Kolkata Tramways have been impacted by poor planning and corrupt practices. “Some small errors of judgment have caused immeasurable damage,” he told a meeting organised by a few nonprofits.