At a time when Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is making tall claims of installing thousands of street lights, almost all the street lights are defunct in Kashmir capital Srinagar. Those which are functional don’t have capacity to lit-up the roads and streets.
Almost every year, SMC installs lights on main roads, link roads, lanes and by-lanes but shortly after their installation, these lights turn defunct. SMC is even not taking interest in repairing these lights and the glaring example is Residency Road Srinagar.
In order to beautify the city, SMC had installed big round bulbs on Residency Road but most of those round bulbs are hanging in air while the Corporation is least interested in repairing these beautiful white bulbs.
As the Sun sets, Abdullah Bridge virtually turns into a ghost bridge as not a single installed street light functions. The defunct streetlights are badly affecting the movement of pedestrians.
Insiders in Corporation told Kashmir News Trust that electric division at SMC is virtually defunct. “SMC becomes a butt of jokes when it calls Srinagar as the city of lights and claims that it will lit up grave yards. They should at least repair the defunct lights first and then install the new ones,” said an employee wishing not to be named.
The street lights are completely defunct at Abdullah Bridge, Residency Road, MA Road, Karan Nagar, Jawahar Nagar, Jahangir Chowk, Mehjoor Nagar Bridge, Bemina, Khayam, Nishat and Rajbagh.
A House Boat owner said that they face lot of inconvenience during evening hours as street lights are defunct at Abi Guzar Bund.
“The LED lights installed outside Municipal Park here in Srinagar don’t lit up the road and park as these bulbs seem to be of sub-standard quality,” said a pedestrian.
Commissioner SMC Khurshid Ahmed Sanai said that he will look into the matter. (KNT)