JMC’s streetlight promise fades, many areas still face darkness

Jaipur: A promise made by Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) last year to install 50,000 streetlights across the city appears to have quietly faded as the board's term ended, with several areas still struggling with poor lighting.In many parts of the city, darkness continues to dominate streets after sunset.
Residents said several stretches remain poorly lit once evening sets in. One such example is a lane opposite the Rajasthan University in Bapu Nagar. As soon as the sun goes down, the stretch plunges into darkness, leaving residents and commuters struggling to navigate the road. Locals highlighted that the absence of proper lighting not only causes inconvenience but also raises safety concerns, particularly for women, students and elderly residents returning home after dusk.A similar situation exists on Patel Marg in Mansarovar, where nearly a 2km stretch has poles installed but the streetlights are not functioning. Residents said they have raised the issue repeatedly over the years, but the problem remains unresolved.Street lighting condition becomes even more striking in C-Scheme, widely considered one of Jaipur's most prominent and well-developed areas. The locality houses several senior administrative officers, yet many streetlights remain switched off or dysfunctional.According to official data, nearly 30% of the complaints received by the civic body relate to streetlights.Despite this, officials maintain that the system is functioning smoothly. When asked about non-operational lights and the performance of companies awarded maintenance contracts, JMC's XEN (Light) Pradeep Sharma dismissed the concerns."The company completed the entire work. There is no area in the city where lights are not functioning. We have not received any complaint regarding streetlights being switched off or faulty," Sharma said.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !