Pune police urge PMC to install streetlights in deserted areas amid safety concerns, PMC cites challenges
part from the Bopdev Ghat gangrape in early October, the city in recent weeks has seen a rise in robberies, particularly in deserted areas
Following the Bopdev Ghat gangrape on October 3, the police have urged the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to install streetlights in key public areas, especially isolated areas, to improve women’s safety. However, the PMC has responded saying it faces challenges due to jurisdictional issues and lack of funds, especially in private areas, ghats, forests and hilly regions.
Apart from the Bopdev Ghat gangrape in early October, the city in recent weeks has seen a rise in robberies, particularly in deserted areas. Victims have reported being attacked, robbed of valuables like mobile phones and jewellery, and brutally beaten in the event they resisted. Hence, the police have urged the PMC to install streetlights in public areas, especially isolated areas, to curb such incidents. The police have identified a total 274 deserted locations and handed over a list of the same to the PMC.
However, the PMC has been unable to install adequate streetlights in several key locations due to jurisdictional limitations as these areas are not within the PMC limits. For any work to proceed in these areas, special permission from the commissioner is required.
On December 19, Nikhil Pingale, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) for the Pune city crime branch, wrote a letter to the PMC electrical department, requesting an update on the action taken regarding the list of deserted locations.
On December 23, Manisha Shekatkar, chief superintendent engineer, PMC electrical department, replied saying, “We have started work to install streetlights in most of the places under the PMC jurisdiction, especially the area near Bopdev Ghat (from Trinity College to Bopdev Ghat) which is part of the PMC limit.”
“We have visited the deserted areas mentioned in the police letter and checked the possibility of installation of streetlights. We found that the Khadki cantonment, private open places, forest department areas (Taljai Pathar, Hanuman Tekdi, and Pune Cantonment) are not part of the PMC limit. So, we cannot install streetlights there,” Shekatkar said.
Whereas a PMC official on condition of anonymity said, “The PMC lacks sufficient funds to install streetlights in every deserted area. First of all, we need to develop infrastructure like electricity lines and road networks. On top of that, we have to manage electricity bills and maintain the setup which requires significant investment. The electrical department has a budget of ₹20 crore for electricity bills, maintenance, and installing new streetlights but this amount is inadequate, considering the newly merged villages.”
Pingale said, “The PMC should follow the procedure such as visit the spots, make projects, sanction them and give work orders to install CCTVs. However, the PMC is working on it. It has already started work on the installation of streetlights which we suggested in the letter. We discussed all issues in a recent meeting with the PMC electrical department officials. For hilly and ghat sections, we are trying to find a solution with the police department’s CCTV installation project.”