Defunct street lights pester Srinagarites

Srinagar, Jan 31: Defunct street lights in various areas of the summer capital are taking toll on people especially during evening hours.

Greater Kashmir received complaints from various localities of Srinagar about defunct streetlights. “There are many places in Downtown where street lights are not working properly. It is creating a problem for pedestrians. There are many street lights which are defunct and require repairs at Nowhatta, Gojwara, and adjoining areas,” Adil Ahmad, a local, said.

The locals from Hazratbal outskirts said that their area has been neglected for years. “There is complete darkness in the evening in our locality. With dogs on prowl, elderly and children are unable to venture out in evening hours. We have main roads like Hazratbal, Gasso-Burzahama, Mulfaq, and Shopribagh where there is no trace of street lights. This area has roads full of electric poles, but authorities are sitting on installation of street lights,” said Faisal Ahmad, another local.

The locals said that the failure of authorities to have a dedicated power line for streetlights is turning the streets pitch dark amid scheduled power cuts.

“Srinagar is undergoing major development work, and many areas in Srinagar are dug up, and construction material is lying around. In such a scenario, street lights must work properly to avoid any mishap. We also hope that under Smart City projects, authorities will take projects related to street lights and cover the whole of Srinagar, not just main parts of the city,” said a local from Hazratbal.

A senior official from Srinagar Smart City said that all the new projects that they are executing under the Smart City include a street light system.

"We have multiple projects in the pipeline. As the underground cabling in these projects gets completed, we will finish the lighting system. However, other major work in the context of installation of street lights comes under SMC," said the official.