Bhopal: Street Lights Off, City Streets Unsafe

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Darkness has descended on the streets of the capital city as over 500 street lights of Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) across both old and new parts of Bhopal have been switched off due to non-payment of electricity bills. This has significantly increased risk of road accidents and crime, especially at night, leaving residents concerned about their safety.

Sources from BMC’s electrical department say that while more than 150 street lights had already gone dark in various localities, the situation worsened over the past week after Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company disconnected power supply to several others.

The reason behind this is unpaid dues from BMC. However, the Corporation claims it too has pending service charge dues from the electricity company, creating a deadlock that citizens are paying the price for.

Despite official assurances, the continuing power cuts to street lights have cast a long shadow over Bhopal’s roads and its residents’ security.

Crime spikes, accidents rise

The absence of street lighting has led to increased incidents of theft, chain-snatching and even molestation. Several road accidents have also been reported, particularly involving vehicles colliding with stray animals in areas like Kolar Road, Bhadbhada, Link Road and Piplani. A recent accident occurred near ITI on Raisen Road due to poor visibility.

Busy zones in dark

Affected areas include key locations such as Arera Colony, Hoshangabad Road, Tulsi Nagar, Raisen Road, Ayodhya Bypass, Bhanpur, Lalghati, Bairagarh, MP Nagar and Jinsi Road. These are some of the busiest and most posh parts of the city, now shrouded in darkness after sunset. Residents have raised complaints on CM Helpline 181 and the Mayor’s helpline, but to no avail.

BMC assistant engineer Ashish Shrivastava siad "The situation is not as severe. City has over 50,000 street lights and only about 5% are non-functional. Regular maintenance underway."