Shimla, June 12: The city looks like a shimmering jewel at night but residents of congested and non-planned suburbs and shanties fight darkness in narrow streets, paths and roads each night. The residents of outlying areas still struggle their way through the streets. The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) had installed about 9,000 LED lights in many wards, but it is yet to install or replace as many as 1,000 LED streetlights in areas where the LED streetlight programme is going on.
The walk from The Mall to New Shimla, through the bridal path winding from the jungle near the BCS, remains a “dark experience” for pedestrians.The 100-m stretch that leads to New Shimla does not have lights and it is not even maintained properly, Azar and Ram Asre, both labourers, complain.
The residents of lower Vikasnagar, Dhobhighat, Malyana, Poabo, Lower Engine Ghar, parts of Tuttu, Ruldu Ka Bhata, lower Mehli, lower Cymmtery and parts of the old Bazaar complain that the area lacks a motorable road and properly lighted paths and streets.Mayor Sanjay Chauhan and Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar claim that the SMC has already replaced 9,000 streetlights with LED lights and tarred the roads and laid drains along the roads in most of the areas.
The roads in congested bazaars and steep hill slopes cannot be maintained and they have proposed escalators for all such areas.MC officials say SMC will pay the amount it saves from annual energy bill of the streetlights to the company which is installing the streetlights, as per the agreement. The company will replace and maintain the LED lights for seven years and the city will save almost 40 to 50 per cent on energy bill every month, they add.
Image Source Tribune India
