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Time of India
28-04-2025
- Time of India
Annual festival impacts firefly population: Pune activist to NGT
1 2 Pune: The National Green Tribunal ( NGT ) has issued notices to the state forest and tourism departments seeking clarification whether the current guidelines governing the Firefly Festival (Kajwa Mahotsav) held annually between May and June were being properly implemented and were these enough to prevent ecological harm. The directives came after a petition was filed by environmentalist Ganesh Borhade. He urged the tribunal to direct the authorities to frame comprehensive and detailed guidelines for protection and conservation of fireflies, particularly within the Kalsubai wildlife sanctuary . You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Borhade said the sanctuary experiences significant ecological disturbances during the festival because of unregulated tourism. He said artificial lighting from flashlights, mobile phones and vehicle headlights interferes with the natural mating behaviour of fireflies and is contributing to a significant decline in their population. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "Fireflies rely on bioluminescent signals for reproduction and increased light pollution during the festival negatively impacts their reproductive success," he said in his petition. Ambrish More had started the festival in 2012 around Arthur Lake and Bhandardara dam in Ahilyanagar district. He said, "I never expected the situation to become this bad when I first started to take tourists to see fireflies. Looking at the current situation, I often feel I made a mistake by exposing the spot to tourists and I may not be able to forgive myself for it." More further said the firefly population will vanish entirely from the region if authorities fail to restrict tourist activities in the area. "There is an urgent need to stop the festival for the next two to three years, at least. If authorities fail to act, I will personally send a legal notice to the forest department on the matter," he added. The festival started in Ahilyanagar and Nashik districts initially. Now it is also celebrated in other places like Bhimashankar, Malshej Ghat and Rajmachi in Pune and Radhanagri in Kolhapur district. Activists said tour operators set up tents and tourists often play loud music which adversely impacts the wildlife. Professional trekker Vinayak Wadekar, who has been visiting the areas for over two decades, observed a worrying trend. "The firefly population has dropped by nearly 20% to 30% in just the last few years as based on my experience," he said. Wadekar further said lack of management leads to heavy congestion in the area troubling local residents as tourists park their vehicles on the road blocking movement of other vehicles completely. Borhade said private operators are permitted by the forest department to set up tents and camping facilities within the eco-sensitive zone. He further said local forest officials issued a set of guidelines last year, but it proved inadequate to manage the situation — with most not being followed by tourists. Meanwhile, the NGT bench has directed the state forest and tourism departments to submit their affidavits within four weeks.
Hindustan Times
27-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
NGT asks authorities to submit report on visitors' policy ahead of fireflies festival
Ahead of the fireflies' festival to be held between May 17 to June 22, at various locations in Maharashtra, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) instructed the Maharashtra Forest Department and tourism departments to submit a report on the visitor policy for this festival. Ganesh Borhade, a resident of Nashik who is active in wildlife conservation in this area, has recently submitted an application, stating that due to the fireflies festival being held at Kalsubai Wildlife Sanctuary, the protected area faces significant ecological disturbances due to unregulated tourism during the festival, such as artificial lighting from flashlights, mobile phones, and vehicle headlights, which disrupt the fireflies' natural mating behaviour, leading to a decline in their population. The application further mentioned that the activity is being conducted under eco-tourism and ought to have been governed as per the 'Eco-Tourism Master Plan'. 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. 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. Hence, the tribunal is requested to frame detailed guidelines for the protection and conservation of fireflies. Considering the seriousness of the situation, the NGT on April 17 issued an order directing the Maharashtra Forest Department and the Directorate of Tourism to submit their reply affidavits within four weeks. Speaking about the development, Borhade said, 'This particular application was made with regards to Kalsubai Wildlife Sanctuary, however, there is a mention of other forest areas as well, where such festivals are being held. Hence, it is applicable to all those places. Currently, the guidelines for such festivals are made at the local level by the Range Forest Officers.'
