Residents and activists said the dark stretches have turned night travel into a dangerous gamble
Pune : Commuters across the city, already battling pothole-ridden roads, are now facing a severe safety hazard due to erratic streetlighting. Officials from PMC’s electrical department said that the power supply and cables were damaged due to rain and road digging works last month, leading to interruptions. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
Local residents and activists said the dark stretches have turned night travel into a dangerous gamble, with abrupt power failures spiking during the monsoon. Satara Road resident Mahesh Dumble said many street poles are being used illegally to erect commercial banners and boards. Political activist from the Sinhagad Road area, Mahesh Pokale, said that he has repeatedly raised the issue of non-functioning streetlights in his locality. “We will check the reasons behind the delays in repairing streetlights,” officials said.
Yerawada resident Satya Bhosale recounted a harrowing experience travelling from Shivajinagar around 11pm, finding the entire CoEP flyover plunged into complete darkness. Bhosale noted a similar hazard on old Mumbai-Pune Highway near Khadki, calling the blackouts a chronic, habitual problem. Echoing these safety fears, Shankar Bhosale, a resident of Vishrantwadi, pointed out that lighting is critically inadequate along stretches with ongoing infrastructure projects. He urged authorities to install high-intensity focus lights on priority to prevent nocturnal accidents. Citizens also pointed out a severe gap in basic upkeep and grievance redressal. Devendra Joshi from Baner highlighted that when streetlights fail abruptly, there is no system available for instant repairs, leaving defective lights to languish for days. This administrative neglect is worsened by poor maintenance on the ground. At several locations, the actual streetlights are completely obscured by these unapproved hoardings or overgrown tree branches. Besides common citizens, the issue was also put forth by elected representatives in the general body meeting, with corporators from peripheral areas claiming that many newly developing areas were deprived of streetlight infrastructure. He noted that the newly constructed flyover is a prime example of the erratic functioning of streetlights, which clearly shows that the administration lacks proper maintenance and repair protocols. The repairs are in their final stages, and zonal teams have been asked to conduct regular checks. Download the TOI App.