An Express series: Delhi in the dark read full article at worldnews365.me

The difficulty can also be intently tied to the protection of Delhiites, significantly ladies.

As earlier reported by The Indian Express, the Kanjhawala-Sultanpuri stretch the place Anjali Singh’s physique was dragged beneath a car had huge areas shrouded in darkness.

t the Raj Ghat sign in the direction of Mahatma Gandhi Marg. Images: Gajendra Yadav

Beginning at present, The Indian Categorical travels on distinguished roads within the nationwide capital at night time — beginning with the stretch between the Delhi Secretariat and Raj Ghat by way of Satyagrah Marg and Mahatma Gandhi Marg; and RK Puram Metro station to Swami Venkateshwara Marg on Africa Avenue Highway — to make clear the darkish spots.

A VIP stretch

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Cupboard ministers and senior bureaucrats run the nationwide capital from the Delhi Secretariat. When The Indian Categorical began off from the constructing, a small portion of this stretch until Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium was brightly illuminated and adorned with lamps and designer lights. Round 500 metres later, the highway descended into darkness.

From there, until about 1.3 km from Sachivalaya Highway under Ring Highway Bypass in the direction of Raj Ghat Depot, there was darkness. It’s on this highway that the Public Works Division’s Central and New Delhi highway upkeep division workplace is situated. On the left aspect from the place the PWD workplace is located, 4 lights have been discovered working, whereas on the fitting aspect, three lights — two small ones and a taller pole — weren’t working.

The stretch until Satyagrah Marg has 34 gentle poles — 26 on the fitting aspect (together with 4 tall ones) and eight on the left. Of the sunshine poles put in on the fitting aspect, simply three have been working. 5 avenue poles had no lights fastened on them. On the left, solely the 4 outdoors the PWD workplace have been working.

Between 10.30 pm and 11 pm, a number of buses have been seen transferring to the Raj ghat bus depot. A police automobile patrolling the stretch stopped us at one level and requested to see identification playing cards. One of many officers within the van cautioned: “This isn’t a protected highway; anti-social parts, chain snatchers roam round right here… don’t keep right here for lengthy.”

From the T-point, the highway divides in two components — the left goes in the direction of Gandhi Darshan Museum and Raj ghat and the opposite in the direction of IPGCL Himadri constructing. On the fitting aspect, most streetlights have been off however the stretch was illuminated by lights from surrounding buildings and parked buses.

The stretch from Satyagrah Marg in the direction of Gandhi Darshan Museum has 32 gentle poles with single lamps, of which half weren’t lit, together with those on the bus stand close to the museum.

On the Raj ghat site visitors sign junction — one of many busiest sections that connects Previous Delhi, Daryaganj, Delhi Gate, ITO and Shantivan — there was darkness. On Mahatma Gandhi Marg, on the intersection, just one excessive mast gentle was lit. From Raj ghat sign to Mahatma Gandhi Marg finish, the central median had about 13 poles with two-winged lights. None have been switched on. Nevertheless, about 500 metres on the Shantivan stretch, the stretch was brightly lit with designer lights and ornamental poles that have been put in by the PWD underneath its streetscaping venture.

When contacted, a senior PWD official stated: “From College of Planning to Raj ghat crimson gentle junction… theft is a serious situation… drug addicts steal the aluminium wires and even lower them, because of which the lights get fused. At a number of spots, there are solely poles and no lights… We often file complaints with police for growing night time patrolling… Huge bushes and lack of pruning can also be a difficulty as a number of streetlight poles get lined.”

“Equally, theft points are there on Sachivalaya highway to Raj Ghat depot and Gandhi Darshan Museum. We’re getting the lights fastened and to keep away from thefts, we’re planning to cowl lights and electrical packing containers on poles with barbed wire. Our goal is to restore all lights by January 26, however the division is working to restore it in every week,” added the official.

Praveen Kumar, MLA, Jangpura, stated: “I haven’t obtained complaints on this but, however we have now a workforce of volunteers who often go to and examine the working situation of streetlights on the principle highway and colony roads… I’ll get the lights fastened within the subsequent 48 hours by means of the PWD official involved. We often get complaints from the general public relating to streetlights; just lately we bought all lights fastened on Barapullah flyover.” The Raj Ghat part falls underneath his constituency.

A key South Delhi highway

Surrounded by Central Public Works Division (CPWD) residential quarters and the IIT hostel on the left and a forested space and district park on the fitting, the 1.2-km stretch on Africa Avenue Highway, ranging from Sheikh Sarai site visitors sign under IIT flyover until the Swami Venkateshwara Marg T-point, was utterly darkish, made worse by a thick layer of fog.

There was no gentle on the edges of the roads. The central median had 21 two-winged streetlights — not even one was switched on. The 1.3-km stretch on Africa Avenue Highway is a key arterial highway that connects RK Puram’s sectors 1 to five, Safdarjung Enclave, Mohammadpur and Bhikaji Cama Place. From Swami Venkateshwara Marg, it connects Sheikh Sarai, ILBS Vasant Kunj, IIT, Nehru Place.

“This can be a very busy stretch… It’s a predominantly residential space; the stretch is kind of darkish and we have now raised this matter with the engineer involved to restore the lights. The darkish spot is notorious for accidents,” stated a police officer on patrolling obligation requesting anonymity.

A PWD official, who takes care of {the electrical} division on this stretch, stated, “We have now a separate workforce that inspects all streetlights every day. The streetlights on Africa Avenue Highway have been useful and we have now obtained no complaints thus far. However, if the lights are usually not working, we are going to get it fastened very quickly.”

Promila Tokas, MLA, RK Puram, stated, “A lot of the areas that come underneath my meeting constituency are CPWD colonies, so set up and fixing of lights has been a difficulty due to totally different companies like MCD sustaining colony roads and them not listening to us. Nevertheless, the principle roads come underneath PWD, so I’ll get it checked and repaired. Motion will likely be taken instantly in a day or two.”

From Swami Venkateshwara Marg, the stretch goes to Tamil Sangam Marg with RK Puram Sector 1, 2, 3 and 4 located on both aspect. At a 500-metre distance is a site visitors police station, and the slum cluster the place the December 16, 2012, rape accused lived is across the nook. The stretch was illuminated although some lights weren’t working right here both.

In keeping with PWD officers, at each stretch, there may be {an electrical} field and a workers member who activates the lights at 5-6 pm and turns them off at round 7 am throughout winters.

A direct influence

After The Indian Categorical reached out to authorities relating to the darkish stretches, officers stated the PWD secretary has taken inventory of the bottom state of affairs and directed officers involved to restore all streetlights and change outdated poles with new ones. A senior PWD official informed The Indian Categorical that “streetlights… have been fastened following your observations/ criticism”.

“Streetlight repairing is a steady course of… As quickly as we obtain a criticism, we get it fastened in 24-48 hours. Highway and streetlight repairs and pruning work is occurring throughout Delhi… The division can also be changing all sodium lights with LED lights and a separate management room will likely be set as much as monitor them,” stated senior officers.