Assessment of Light Pollution in Indian Scenario: A Case of Bangalore

Development in recent years has brought with it increased artificial light at night for amenity or security lighting, which has led to a noteworthy change in the night scenario and brightness of urban areas. Light pollution is now turning into a global issue as it is slowly fading away the ability to observe stars and originating various environmental and energy issues. It comprises glare, increased unrequited illumination, temporary lighting, and unexpected fluctuations in lighting. The sources are diverse, including streetlights, fishing boats, buildings, vehicle headlights, and even lights on under-sea research vessels; assimilation all these often results in the formation of a domical sky glow. This study attempts to address the issue of light pollution in an urban setting taking Bangalore, one of the fastest-growing cities in India as an example, with the help of night-time satellite imagery by the National Oceanic and Administrative Administration, USA. The study tries to observe a relationship between various demographical and spatial factors of the city with the brightness levels. The analysis shows a considerable relationship between road density and radiance. Further in a delineated area, site-specific situation and primary contributing sources are detailed. The inverse distance weighted simulation of the street illumination is found to be four times the Indian Standard recommendation. Despite light pollution protruding and having high risks to the environment, it is reducible through various practicable solutions. Lastly, the study tries to address light pollution by developing spatial strategies using GIS as a tool and concludes with future research directions.