Street Lighting Failures: A Safety Issue Affecting Millions
Non-functional streetlights appear in the top 3 complaints on India's CPGRAMS portal every month. They are more than a convenience issue: dark streets are directly correlated with increased rates of road accidents, street crime, and reduced mobility for women and senior citizens after dark.
The UJALA Scheme and Its Gaps
The UJALA scheme (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) replaced over 360 million incandescent bulbs with LEDs — one of the world's largest LED deployment programmes. Street lighting was covered under the Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP), which upgraded roughly 1.3 crore streetlights to LED by 2020. But installation and maintenance are different problems. LED streetlights that lack maintenance contracts fail and are not replaced.
Who Is Responsible?
Urban streetlights fall under the Municipal Corporation. Rural road lighting may fall under the Gram Panchayat (for village roads) or the state PWD (for highways). Knowing the correct authority determines where to share your feedback.
The Safety Dimension
The Nirbhaya Fund, established after the 2012 Delhi gang rape, allocated resources specifically for women's safety infrastructure including streetlights, CCTV cameras, and emergency response systems. A dark street near a bus stop or school is not just an inconvenience — it is a failure of state-mandated safety obligations.
How to Submit an Effective Streetlight Report
- Note the pole number (marked on most streetlight poles)
- Record the location with two landmarks
- Mention how many days the light has been non-functional
- Note if the area is near a school, hospital, or bus stop (escalates priority)
A non-functional streetlight near your home is an issue that can be resolved in days if filed correctly. Share it on Seedhi Baat and hold your MP accountable for safe streets.
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