Mangaluru: Society for Forest, Environment and Climate Change has announced a Rs 250 cash reward for citizens who submit geotagged photographs of environmental violations, including vehicle-based illegal dumping and improper waste disposal in public areas.Society president Charles Anil D’Souza and secretary Benedict Fernandes told reporters Saturday that photographs can be sent to WhatsApp number 9845490714.Society will use the information to file complaints in Form 1 with the principal secretary of department of forest, ecology and environment, the adjudicating officer under Section 15C of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.Fernandes said the initiative follows the amendment to Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. The revised provisions replaced the earlier criminal prosecution mechanism with a civil penalty framework.The power to conduct inquiries and impose penalties has been vested with the designated Adjudicating Officer under Section 15C, he said, adding that subordinate field officers do not have the statutory authority to independently impose penalties for violations covered under the Act.The provisions cover violations related to air and water pollution, biomedical waste, construction and demolition waste, e-waste, solid waste, noise pollution and plastic waste, among others.Under the amended provisions, penalties for general violations range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15 lakh, while companies can face penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, he said. Additional penalties can also be levied for continuing violations.Society members alleged that despite the amended provisions, subordinate authorities in Karnataka continue to impose and collect environmental penalties directly. Violations detected by field officials should be referred to the designated Adjudicating Officer through the prescribed Form 1, Fernandes said.“According to the RTI information, 4,73,684 offences were recorded during 2024-25 and penalties amounting to around Rs 79 crore were collected, resulting in an alleged short levy of approximately Rs 394 crore. Similar shortfalls were alleged for 2025-26 and 2026-27 up to the current period,” he said.He alleged that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) have failed to oversee the unauthorized, parallel system for collecting environmental fines.
