Srinagar, Oct. 7: Despite passage of more than ten months, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is yet to kick start the second phase of street lighting in Srinagar city.
Several localities on Friday complained of either no street lights in their areas or defunct ones, and expressed surprise over “extreme” delays in phase 2.
“We are unable to understand the inordinate delay in the installation of street lights. Although the first half of summer is over, the officials of SMC seem in deep slumber over the matter, “the locals alleged.”
During the first phase, our area was excluded from the drive. We were assured by the local corporator and other officials of SMC to wait for some time as their demands would be met soon. However, six months have passed since, but there is no headway, “Nisar Ahmad of Natipora said.
In contesting the people’s claim, the Commissioner SMC, Athar Amir Khan, said that the second phase of installing street lights has already begun and around ten thousand lights have been installed in this ongoing second phase.
The senior official said that priority has been given to the main roads and that this will be followed by other places. He said that in the coming two months, the phase would be completed.
Similar complaints poured in from Srinagar’s downtown areas, where a large portion of lanes and by-lanes were left during phase 1.
The locals of several downtown areas expressed resentment over the delay in the project, saying “The ongoing year is about to be over but SMC seems disinterested in the affairs of common people.”
“We sought a few street lights in our area last year, but the concerned elected officials pacified us and told us to wait for a few weeks. However, several months are over. The phase-2 is yet to come, “the locals told Rising Kashmir.
Pertinently, the SMC installed 60 thousand street lights in several parts of Srinagar city that covered main roads, lanes, and by-lanes during the first phase. The officials then assured the left-out areas would be covered in phase 2, in which more than 40 thousand street lights would be procured and installed.
