India, Oct. 10 -- Ever squinted against the glare of a brightly lit billboard while driving through areas like the BKC at night? Or struggled to sleep as powerful floodlights continued to illuminate the surroundings long after dark? For residents dealing with the city's increasingly bright nights, the problem has now reached the Bombay High Court.

On Friday, the court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ensure strict compliance with a February 1998 order requiring neon lights to be switched off by 11 pm.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna was hearing a petition alleging that authorities have failed to curb light pollution caused by high-intensity floodlights and illum...