Our engineers trying their best to repair defunct street-lights: SMC Commissioner 

Natika Bhat 

Srinagar, Feb 24: Most of Srinagar plunges into darkness as soon as the sun sets due to the non-functioning of street-lights in the summer capital. The government’s plan to provide lighting on the city streets has raised questions. The working of the mechanical wing of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), which was assigned the task of installation and maintenance of streetlights is questioned by the locals. 

In absence of this basic facility, the city residents that Rising Kashmir talked with expressed resentment saying they face “inconvenience in moving out of their homes and go to the markets or masjids in the evenings.”

Shabir Bhat, a Srinagar local questioned, “Why they (SMC) are not replacing the defunct street lights?” 

“We are facing a lot of difficulties every day as we are not able to walk on the streets after sunset as the whole locality plunges into darkness,” he added. 

The general complaint raised by the locals has been that the government has installed street lights near “VIP houses,” as elsewhere maintenance of these street lights has been neglected. 

Take the case of Batamaloo locality here, where streetlights were installed as a part of “security measures” following an advisory by police. 

the lights are defunct since last year while the concerned have failed to act. SMC is not even bothered to look after it,” said Rashid Khan, a local. 

Moreover, residents of Buchwara Dalgate have also expressed indignation over the defunct streetlights in the area. “We appeal to the concerned authorities to restore the streetlights at the earliest as we are facing a lot of inconvenience after the sunset,” said Abdul Majid, a local from Dalgate. 

A source said that “SMC has failed to evolve a transparent procedure for installation and repairs of streetlights”. “There is no proper grievance redressal system as lighting continues to be sweet will and wish of the engineering staff,” the source added. 

Meanwhile, SMC commissioner Gazanfar Ali told Rising Kashmir that, “they are trying their best to repair all the defunct streetlights in the city,” and added that “soon whole Srinagar city will get lightened up at night as well”. 

“Our engineers are doing their best to work on all the complaints made by the locals and shortly our engineers are going to solve this problem,” he added.