Light pollution is one of the fastest-growing environmental pressures on the planet, yet it remains one of the least regulated. In Maharashtra — a state home to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, the Central Asian Flyway, and over 120 million people — artificial light at night (ALAN) is quietly undermining public health, ecosystems, energy systems, and the night sky itself.

AstronEra is working to change that. This post is a short introduction to the programme: what we have found, what we are proposing, and where it begins on the ground.

The evidence: why this matters

Our research synthesises peer-reviewed evidence across four domains. The picture is consistent: unregulated outdoor lighting carries real, measurable costs.

Health. Chronic light exposure at night disrupts circadian rhythms and suppresses melatonin. Shift workers face a 40% increase in cardiovascular disease risk. The global economic burden of sleep-related obesity alone is projected to reach $4.32 trillion by 2035. Read the health research

Biodiversity. 60% of invertebrates and 30% of vertebrates are nocturnal. ALAN disrupts predator-prey dynamics, collapses nocturnal pollination cycles, and disorients migratory species along the Central Asian Flyway — a corridor India is legally bound to protect. Read the ecological evidence

Climate and energy. Outdoor lighting contributes roughly 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions — about 2.5 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually. When France introduced a midnight lighting curfew, it saved over 2 TWh of energy per year and avoided 250,000 tonnes of CO₂, with no adverse safety impact. Read the climate analysis

Tourism and economics. The dark sky tourism market is projected to reach $3 billion globally by 2032. Certified dark sky sites consistently report 30–40% increases in visitor footfall. In Utah, dark sky–adjacent tourism generated $5.8 billion over a decade, supporting more than 10,000 jobs annually. Read the economic case

The approach: policy without disruption

Maharashtra already holds binding obligations under international treaties (CMS Light Pollution Guidelines), national law (Wildlife Protection Act 1972, NGT Directive 2024), and state climate commitments. The legal authority exists — what is missing is the regulatory framework to use it.

Rather than pushing for immediate statewide legislation, we are proposing a phased, pilot-informed pathway:

1. Publish interim guidelines under existing environmental authority — no new law required.
2. Constitute a Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary, drawing representatives from Environment, Tourism, Forest, Urban Development, Energy, and Tribal Development.
3. Establish a Technical Secretariat (AstronEra's role) to coordinate research, monitoring, and inter-departmental alignment.
4. Progress toward a formal ALAN Notification by 2029, backed by pilot data and stakeholder buy-in.

This manages political and institutional risk while delivering early returns. Over 40 jurisdictions globally — France, Chile, South Korea, South Africa — have already demonstrated that outdoor lighting can be governed without compromising safety, economic activity, or urban development. Explore the policy framework

The pilots: where it starts

Eleven geographically diverse sites across Maharashtra have been identified for the first phase, spanning protected forests, coastal turtle nesting zones, agricultural heritage corridors, tribal development areas, and urban municipalities. Site classifications and formal agreements are being finalised in 2026.

The pilot programme runs in three phases:

• Phase I (2026) — Launch pilots, publish guidelines, constitute the Steering Committee, amend the state tourism policy to integrate astrotourism.
• Phase II (2027) — Finalise area classifications (core dark, buffer, regulated urban), draft the ALAN Notification, begin lighting retrofits.
• Phase III (2028–2029) — Track ecological response, energy savings, health and safety perception, and tourism revenue across all four research domains. Deliver the final Notification ready for statewide deployment.

By 2029, Maharashtra will have validated technical standards, demonstrated economic returns, built institutional capacity, and earned public trust — the prerequisites for confident statewide scale-up. Learn about the pilot programme

What comes next

This blog is where we will share updates as the programme develops: new research, regulatory milestones, field reports from pilot sites, and the occasional essay on dark sky culture and what the night means for all of us.

Follow along here, or connect with us on X for shorter updates.