For wildlife enthusiasts, the soaring mercury levels are ideal for spotting big cats in tiger reserves and national parks, and the pre-monsoon period is also the breeding season for fireflies. A phenomenon that draws hoards of gawping tourists to villages like Purushwadi, Rajmachi and Bhandardara. But the high tourist footfall is not only proving detrimental to the insect, but also the residents of water-starved villages.

Starting this weekend and until June second week, over 100 such tours will be organised from Mumbai alone - something that ecologists are increasingly becoming wary of. "Imagine the havoc such numbers can wreak, when the majority of tourists aren't aware of the impact of their weekend getaway to ecologically sensitive areas," ecologist and Sprouts Environment Trust CEO Anand Pendharkar.