NGT seeks explanations from Centre about effects of artificial light on wildlife, plants, and human health.
Notifying Union Ministries of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Science and Technology among others, the NGT today sought their response on a plea which has apprehended adverse effects on wildlife, plants, and human health arising out of artificial light at night.
The plea, before an NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and member expert A Senthil Vel, said that artificial light at night is an interference in natural biological processes like human circadian rhythms, nocturnal behavior of wildlife, plant physiology, and species migration patterns.
The NGT, while passing the order dated 23 December 2024, observed that the Petition referred to several published research and studies pointing out that myriad environmentally and health-wise injurious impacts are triggered by artificial lightings. This argued that there is a severe issue with respect to light pollution, and myriad studies have uncovered its link to various ecological and health issues.
Light Pollution: A Growing Cause for Concern
This order in NGT rises with growing light pollution-related concerns. The change begins with changes in the nature of ecosystems and extends up to the behavioral patterns of animals and then adversely impacts humans themselves-on the health factor. Briefly, it can be termed as artificial over/incorrectly directed lighting interfering with day/night rhythms. It affects all species broad, but especially those nocturnal animals whose life and movement are gauged by the natural light-dark cycle.
Light emitted by artificial light sources interferes with critical plant growth and reproduction, such as pollination since many plants bloom depending on the cycle of day and night. This interferes with the biological clock and causes an anomaly in their pattern of flowering and reproduction cycles.
Effects on Fauna and Flora
A flagship issue for the plea is its concern with wildlife, particularly nocturnal species. Most animals require cover of darkness in looking for food and mates as well as guarding themselves from enemies. Artificial light changes these behaviors and therefore places wildlife at risk. One of the main points of the petition is to consider how such bright artificial lights affect migration species, mainly birds, whose migratory times can be interfered with by such brightness.
Similar accounts appear for Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra under the petition. These record deaths of flamingos near DPS Lake, the obstruction of whose vision caused this to happen on account of light pollution. This too was not enough and the NGT western zonal bench came to suo motu cognizance in the year 2024 of one of the death reports of flamingos published through media where it concluded that how big the issue is light pollution to be considered as an environmental issue.
Increasing literacy and surveys:
The effects of light pollution on biodiversity and human health are increasingly attracting much attention. Researchers proved that artificial light at night confuses humans, such as leading to various health-related problems, sleep disorders, mood disorders, and other chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart attack. A high risk of cancer has also been linked to exposure to intense light at night.
It causes new behavioral patterns, ranging from complete habitat destruction to food chain disruptions. Migrating birds and moths are highly endangered due to disruption of natural light cueing used for navigation.
This subject has been kept in view by NGT after an observation made by Bhopal zonal bench in July 2023. The bench referred to this phenomenon of light pollution, thus creating some kind of call for more detailed investigation about its ecological and health effect caused by artificial illumination. This modern-day petition came from its previous finding of fact and striving for a more intensive study on ecology and health brought about by light.
Legal and Policy Implications
This would ensure that the Centre and authorities enforce stringent regulation while handling rampant light pollution spreading all over the entire country. NGT has called upon ministries and concerned departments to file an affidavit at least seven days before the date on which this court will be fixed for the final hearing of April 17, 2025.
This case will be pertinent in making policies regarding dimensions on the environment concerning city lighting, wildlife protection, and health in public life. The choice will generate a new set of rules or policies that try to reduce artificial light pollution effects on the environment and human welfare.
Conclusion
The NGT judgment has taken a great step forward in looking for a good response from the center in growing artificial light pollution, which is not alarming to both the ecosystems but also to human health. These policies must entirely be respectful for the matter concerned which will offset the balancing of urban lighting from its benefits which shall be able to be afforded through the balanced offset of human populations’ health as well along with the naturally protected ecosystems. This would thus probably be more noticeably apparent by April 2025 as to whether legal and regulatory steps might plausibly be taken which may further minimize at least some impacts of light pollution.
Source: National Green Tribunal (NGT)