Maharashtra News: NGT Issues Notice To Forest And Tourism Departments On Firefly Festival Impact In Wildlife Sanctuaries

Mumbai: With the rapidly decline of firefly population in Maharashtra’s wildlife sanctuaries, environmentalists have approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), seeking tribunal’s urgent intervention and regulation of the ongoing ‘Firefly Festival’, which the environmentalist allege is causing ecological disruption.

The petition, filed by environmentalist Ganesh Borhade, has urged the NGT to look into the alleged unregulated tourism activities within the Kalsubai-Harishchandragad Wildlife Sanctuary, especially during the festival being held from May 17 to June 22, 2025. Borhade has requested the NGT to issue directions firstly to cap tourist entries, secondly to regulate the use of artificial lighting, and at last to ensure the enforcement of guidelines to protect fireflies, which play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance.

Taking cognisance of the application, the NGT has issued notices to the Maharashtra Forest Department and the Directorate of Tourism, directing them to submit their reply affidavits within four weeks. The tribunal has asked the departments to clarify who is organizing the festival, whether guidelines exist and are being followed, and whether current norms are sufficient to protect fireflies—or if stricter regulations are needed.

Borhade’s plea points out that fireflies, which rely on natural bioluminescent signaling for mating, are significantly affected by light pollution caused by flashlights, mobile phones, and vehicle headlights during the festival. This disruption has reportedly led to a decline in firefly populations—a concern that is not limited to Kalsubai alone but extends to other hotspots like Radhanagari, Rajmachi, Purushwadi, Bhimashankar, Prabalwadi, and Malshej Ghat.

While explaining the importance of fireflies in the ecosystem and their decreasing numbers, the application states: “Fireflies are a crucial component of biodiversity. They serve as both predators and prey within the food web, contributing to the health of ecosystems by controlling populations of invertebrates such as snails, slugs, and mites.

A set of guidelines was issued by the Range Forest Officer (RFO), Kalsubai Wildlife Sanctuary, and Maharashtra Forest Department in May 2024, which was inadequate for the protection of fireflies, whose population has witnessed a gradual decline due to the Firefly Festival.”

The petition also claims that while the Forest Department issued a basic set of guidelines in May 2024, they are inadequate and have failed to curb the ecological damage caused by unchecked tourism. Additionally, it notes that the Eco-Tourism Master Plan, required under a 2017 MoEF&CC notification, has yet to be drafted by the concerned authorities.

It further states that this festival has been regularly organized since 2012. “Various private operators are permitted by the Forest Department to establish tents and camping facilities within the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Kalsubai Wildlife Sanctuary. Such eco-tourism ought to have been governed as per the ‘Eco-Tourism Master Plan’. However, such a plan has not yet been prepared by the Department of Tourism, along with the Forest Department and Environment Department of the State Government of Maharashtra, as mandated by the Notification dated 28.04.2017 issued by the MoEF&CC,” the applicant informed the Tribunal.

The NGT has scheduled the matter for admission on June 20, 2025, and will assess the need for regulatory frameworks and accountability mechanisms to protect the fragile firefly ecosystem in Maharashtra.