Following the directions of Chief Minister to improve street lighting in the City, particularly its link roads, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation is working on a task of installing 18000 street lights to light up the lanes and by-lanes of the district.“Chief Minister is very keen to illuminate all streets of the city particularly in this holy month of Ramadan. We have a target to install 18000 street lights in the Srinagar city in which we have already installed 4200 street lights. We have to cover small lanes, and main roads will be covered by PDD,” SMC Commissioner said.He said as the City has expanded from 300 sq.kms to 430 sq.kms, so corresponding measures have to be taken to cater to its populace.We have to take care of newly developed colonies too. We are installing lights in the lanes towards Mosques and other worship places on priority basis.Pertinently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 100 cities National Programme on January 5, 2015 to convert conventional street and domestic lights with energy efficient LED lights. Under Street Light National Programme (SLNP), the government aims at replacement of 1.34 crore conventional street lights across the country.
Accordingly, the SMC has issued directions for repairing defunct street lights in the city and installing of new ones particularly on by-lane turns on priority.The SMC Commissioner said that since January 2017, as many as 10460 defunct street lights have been repaired and made functional by the Corporation. “All pending defunct street lights will be restored by or before Eid-ul-Fitr,” he added.He said people need to give simple application at the SMC office, where street lights are to be installed or need to be repaired.I have set up five teams to address the complaints regarding defunct street lights. The teams will be available from 9 am and address the complaints registered with our helpline number 24704499,” he further said.The Commissioner emphasized that necessary measures are being taken to ensure all possible facilities to the people and restore the evening life of the city so that people can be facilitated to move freely in the late hours.He said the initiative of the SMC to revive hustle and bustle during the evening hours has been widely hailed and added that the Corporation will leave no stone unturned to restore the glory of the historic city.