Development indicator? Phenomenon of light pollution unheard of by Indian authorities

By Shankar Sharma*
The increasing illumination of the skyline in our towns and cities due to artificial lighting should be a major environmental concern in addition to the pollution/contamination of air, water, soil and noise.
“The Guardian” report “City of London proposing to make skyscrapers dim their lights at night” says, "City (London) officials are concerned about energy wastage and light pollution caused by the unnecessary use of lights in office buildings that have few or no workers after a certain time of night."
But here in India, our authorities seem to think the more the light in the night sky, the more it is an indication of development. Light pollution seems to be a phenomenon unheard of for our authorities. What a way to look at our life and ecology!
To quote from an expert report, "Light pollution, or artificial light at night, is the excessive or poor use of artificial outdoor light, and it disrupts the natural patterns of wildlife, contributes to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, disrupts human sleep, and obscures the stars in the night sky."
In addition, the same is one of the multiple ways in which we are wasting electrical energy, and hence, leading to multiple ecological issues, including Climate Change. The percentage of annual electrical energy used for artificial lighting on our country is not inconsiderable.
I assisted a group of engineering college at Mysore city few years ago in their final year project which focused on the illumination level in public places in that city. Actual measurement of light intensity in about 10 public places during nights indicated that the illumination was about 2 to 2.5 times the guided value by bureau of Indian Standards. It will not be too far fetched to extrapolate the same level of wasted artificial light energy across our towns and cities.
It is estimated in India (by Lighting India Magazine), lighting constitutes around 18% of total annual energy (electrical energy?) developed/ produced. Hence, the enormity of the benefits/savings feasible by adequately focusing on public lighting should become evidently clear.
A scientific report carried on the website of National Library of Medicine says:
"According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2013, almost 20% of electricity consumption and 6% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions worldwide were attributed to electricity for lighting. Lighting is one of the major end-use of electricity that accounts for approximately 48% of the building electricity in the commercial sector and 28% of the building electricity in the residential sector globally in 1997. Due to the long operating hours and a large number of lamps installed in the commercial sector, its electrical energy demand for lighting tends to be higher than the residential sector. Without a rapid change in policies and practical implementations to transition to energy-efficient lighting such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the global energy consumption for lighting is expected to rise by 60% by 2030 and this will also increase the energy-related CO2 emissions, thus causing more warming of the Earth and further climate changes in the future.”
Because of the obvious relevance of minimising the wastage of electrical energy through outdoor lighting, civil society groups need to effectively draw the attention of our authorities to the phenomenon of light pollution.
It may not be an exaggeration to state that minimising the wastage of such artificial light energy in India can save several thousand hectares of thick forests/ vegetation, and several million gallons of fresh water each year, in addition to several other ecological and economic benefits.
Can we hope that the entire society provides adequate focus on such critically positive economic activities; as compared to building ghastly ropeways, tall statues, glitzy airports etc.?
---
*Power & Climate Policy Analyst

Comments

Colin Henshaw said…

A study carried in the Italian town of Certaldo revealed that it wasted 60% of its energy consumption on street lighting. If this is expanded up to include all the cities on the plane, then the degree of energy abuse must be absolutely enormous, and it will be a major contributor to climate change.

37) Fiaschi, D., Bandinelli, R., Conti, S., A case study for energy issues of public buildings and utilities in a small municipality: Investigation of possible improvements and integration with renewables. Applied Energy, 97, 101 – 114, September 2012. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261912002012

March 07, 2023

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Bangladesh alternative more vital for NE India than Kaladan project in Myanmar

By Mehjabin Bhanu* There has been a recent surge in the number of Chin refugees entering Mizoram from the adjacent nation as a result of airstrikes by the Myanmar Army on ethnic insurgents and intense fighting along the border between India and Myanmar. Uncertainty has surrounded India's Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which uses Sittwe port in Myanmar, due to the recent outbreak of hostilities along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Construction on the road portion of the Kaladan project, which runs from Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram, was resumed thanks to the time of relative calm during the intermittent period. However, recent unrest has increased concerns about missing the revised commissioning goal dates. The project's goal is to link northeastern states with the rest of India via an alternate route, using the Sittwe port in Myanmar. In addition to this route, India can also connect the region with the rest of India through Assam by using the Chittagon...

Search This Blog