Pune: Poor Street Lighting Troubles Commuters; PMC Cites Action At 274 Sites

In Pune, there are several roads where commuters are forced to navigate through darkness every night as the street lights are either dysfunctional or broken. Residents claim that this not only causes inconvenience to commuters but also gives anti-social elements a free run.

Residents in some parts of Pune, including Kalyani Nagar and areas near metro stations, have reported issues with non-functional or poorly lit streetlights, causing safety concerns and inconveniences.

Some areas, like the Tilak Bridge to Savarkar Bhavan stretch in Shivajinagar, are particularly problematic due to a lack of streetlights, making nighttime travel difficult and dangerous. Residents have voiced concerns about the increased risk of accidents, crime and general inconvenience due to the darkness.

"The people in Kalyani Nagar face major safety concerns due to chronic street light issues. Night walks have become risky as many lights remain non-functional, leaving roads in complete darkness and making residents vulnerable to accidents and crime. The installed LED lights are of such poor quality that they often turn yellow and ineffective within a few months. Furthermore, most light poles are shrouded by untrimmed trees, further blocking already dim lights. Despite repeated complaints, repairs and maintenance have largely become a community responsibility as PMC continues to neglect the problem," said Bharat Bagaria, a Kalyani Nagar resident.

Another Kalyani Nagar resident, Rupa Gayakwad, added, "Poor and missing street lighting were creating dark, unsafe environments at night. There was always a fear of crime, such as theft, harassment, or assault. Team Swachh Kalyani Nagar (TSKN) really helped in channelling the request to the correct persons and following up. To my surprise lights were installed /repaired quickly. Residents now feel safer and more confident walking or commuting at night. My expectation from PMC is that regular maintenance of street lights would solve the problem in the first place. Citizens should not suffer daily. Such maintenance activities in time would make our life easy."

"Failure of street lights in Kalyani Nagar has been a frustrating and perennial issue. I have been receiving complaints and liaising with the PMC to get it repaired for two years. PMC Engineer Manisha Shektakar has been supportive. Currently, PMC is in the process of upgrading various electrical components that seem to have been the root cause of frequent failures of street lights," added Kalyani Nagar resident and Citizens' forum member Drayson C Dixon.

"The streetlight opposite Mamata store on Central Avenue in Kalayani Nagar was not working and was causing a lot of inconvenience but thanks to the PMC team for their cooperation and efforts to maintain the lighting system to the best of their ability. We hope they are successful in fixing the lights in all the areas," said another resident, who chose to remain anonymous.

According to PMC officials, "The civic body has submitted a report confirming that 274 such spots have been lit up in coordination with the police and the Shivajinagar-Ghole Road, Kothrud-Bavdhan and Aundh-Baner ward offices. Streetlights have been installed under Dengle Bridge, Patil Estate Bridge, Apte Road, Ramoshiwadi, Wakdewadi, Janwadi, Eklavya College, Paramhans Nagar, and along stretches from Paranjape School to Cummins Company Gate, Chandni Chowk bus stop, Kothrud Depot, and ARAI Road. The PMC is also swift to resolve the issues in the patchy roads and areas which are poorly lit, including Kalyani Nagar many poles have been reported and light has been restored."