‘Court case will lead to light pollution policy’
MUMBAI: Kalbadevi resident Nilesh Desai, 39, has been shuttling between various government offices in Mumbai for more than a year now, all in an effort to address the issue of light pollution in the city.
He has now decided to file a public interest litigation to ensure this problem of excess luminosity is taken seriously. “Filing complaints and moving between government offices can be taxing. But there is a need for guidelines. And they can be formulated after the court hears the issue,” he said.
Fourteen months ago, Desai wrote a detailed complaint to the district administration about the extremely bright floodlights at the Wilson Gymkhana on Marine Drive.
A series of reports from 2017 by HT also highlighted how other gymkhanas and other commercial billboards were causing sleepless nights for south Mumbai residents. Several environmental groups and independent researchers also took up cudgels against this under-addressed problem.
A study by environment group, Awaaz Foundation said Wilson Gymkhana’s floodlight intensity exceeded safety limits (as per ophthalmologists at KEM Hospital) by nearly 1,500 times.
In January this year, the then city collector, Sampada Mehta, ordered all gymkhanas along Marine Drive to switch off their floodlights after 10pm. She also requested the state government to draft regulations around this issue in Mumbai.
On November 3 this year, Desai’s efforts bore fruit as the city collector ordered Wilson Gymkhana to remove its floodlights. Some activists are calling it the first such official action against light pollution in the country.
Desai welcomed the move, saying how the gymkhana had not heeded to previous reminders and police notices to remove its floodlights, which could potentially cause accidents on the road due to glare.
The Wilson Gymkhana management, however, said they consistently adhered to rules. “We had discussions to install low-intensity lights and we’re working on it. Since sporting activities happen in the evening, we had to install them. And we adhered to the 10pm deadline,” said Amin Pawar, senior manager, Wilson Gymkhana.
But Desai said the problem would only continue as long as power to issue permits for floodlights resided with the city collector. “If the collector issues permission to one gymkhana, all others will get licences, and it will be disastrous for residents,” he said.
Sumaiara Abdulali, the convenor of Awaaz Foundation, said, “We are still in the process of switching to different types of lighting in India. This is the point where we need to understand the importance of this issue and not wait for 15 years. This can be done only by drafting a policy and not by isolated orders.”
Doctors, however, said the collector’s order was an important step towards public health. “People should not be exposed directly to lux levels exceeding 50-60 lux. Floodlights, which emit as much as 80,000 lux, can lead to photophobia (fear of lights), headaches, watery eyes and prolonged illness,” said Dr Arjun Ahuja, head of the ophthalmology department, KEM Hospital, Parel.