Local governments received 62,315 complaints regarding environmental pollution in 1996, a 951 increase from the previous year, according to a report released Thursday by a committee under the Prime Minister's Office.
Reports of environmental pollution covering seven areas -- such as noise, offensive odor, air and water pollution -- numbered 45,378, a 6.3 percent rise over the previous year. Of the seven categories, noise grievances topped the list at 14,281, followed by 10,961 complaints over air pollution, 10,839 over foul odor, and 7,168 over water pollution.
In all but two of the seven categories -- vibration and ground subsidence -- 1996 complaints topped those in the previous year, it says. Outside the seven categories, complaints regarding illegal dumping were the highest at 4,095. By prefecture, Tokyo was responsible for the most complaints, followed by Saitama, Aichi and Osaka prefectures, the report said.