Morning walkers unhappy about defunct streetlights, dark public spaces

Pune: Recent robberies and attacks on the city's tekdis have prompted regular morning walkers and residents to complain about non-functioning streetlights in several areas, including roads leading towards the hills. The lack of proper lighting on the streets could endanger the safety of citizens, many have said.
Vikas Kulkarni, one of many regular morning walkers in Shivajinagar, said he often finds stretches of FC Road in the dark during early morning hours."The route towards Agriculture College Chowk was recently plunged into darkness during night hours for two consecutive days. People from other areas may be facing similar issues," Kulkarni told TOI.
Residents of Baner-Balewadi put forth a similar plight, saying many smaller lanes and bylanes in their locality either lack adequate streetlight provisions, or the existing ones are defunct.
In June this year, a senior citizen on an early morning walk in Aundh was also attacked by a group of miscreants for money, and later succumbed to his injuries.
Veeju Jagtap, a resident of Gokhalenagar, said, "Noting recent incidents of crime against visitors on tekdis, it is high time that the authorities ensure provision of adequate lighting in public places, especially areas where people go for morning walks in the wee hours."
Resident Akshay Wagh, who regularly visits tekdis, said these hills are always ignored when it comes to civic amenities. "If it is not possible to install lights on tekdis due to some restrictions, the civic body can at least fix high masts at the entrances as a precautionary measure. This will rule out illegal activities to some extent and keep the hills protected," Wagh said.
The functioning of streetlights is monitored by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Civic officials said they have installed high masts at strategic junctions and streetlights on roads. However, several citizens — especially in merged areas — said these provisions are inadequate.
Keshavnagar resident Atul Bharat said, "There is huge scope for improvement. Many newly developed areas are still without proper streetlights and roads. Residents have suffered a lot of inconvenience during the monsoon months due to lack of proper roads and streetlights, as well as repeated power failures."
PMC officials said they will check on the functioning of streetlights in areas of all 15 ward offices. A civic official, choosing anonymity, told TOI, "We will conduct checks to ascertain reasons behind non-functioning streetlights. Some poles are erected at dividers on the smaller roads, and light poles are installed on roadsides. Most of the time, our teams find that damages to cables lead to non-functioning lights."
Pune: Recent robberies and attacks on the city's tekdis have prompted regular morning walkers and residents to complain about non-functioning streetlights in several areas, including roads leading towards the hills. The lack of proper lighting on the streets could endanger the safety of citizens, many have said.
Vikas Kulkarni, one of many regular morning walkers in Shivajinagar, said he often finds stretches of FC Road in the dark during early morning hours. "The route towards Agriculture College Chowk was recently plunged into darkness during night hours for two consecutive days. People from other areas may be facing similar issues," Kulkarni told TOI.
Residents of Baner-Balewadi put forth a similar plight, saying many smaller lanes and bylanes in their locality either lack adequate streetlight provisions, or the existing ones are defunct.
In June this year, a senior citizen on an early morning walk in Aundh was also attacked by a group of miscreants for money, and later succumbed to his injuries.
Veeju Jagtap, a resident of Gokhalenagar, said, "Noting recent incidents of crime against visitors on tekdis, it is high time that the authorities ensure provision of adequate lighting in public places, especially areas where people go for morning walks in the wee hours."
Resident Akshay Wagh, who regularly visits tekdis, said these hills are always ignored when it comes to civic amenities. "If it is not possible to install lights on tekdis due to some restrictions, the civic body can at least fix high masts at the entrances as a precautionary measure. This will rule out illegal activities to some extent and keep the hills protected," Wagh said.
The functioning of streetlights is monitored by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Civic officials said they have installed high masts at strategic junctions and streetlights on roads. However, several citizens — especially in merged areas — said these provisions are inadequate.
Keshavnagar resident Atul Bharat said, "There is huge scope for improvement. Many newly developed areas are still without proper streetlights and roads. Residents have suffered a lot of inconvenience during the monsoon months due to lack of proper roads and streetlights, as well as repeated power failures."
PMC officials said they will check on the functioning of streetlights in areas of all 15 ward offices. A civic official, choosing anonymity, told TOI, "We will conduct checks to ascertain reasons behind non-functioning streetlights. Some poles are erected at dividers on the smaller roads, and light poles are installed on roadsides. Most of the time, our teams find that damages to cables lead to non-functioning lights."