NEW DELHI: In a city where safety dims with the street‑lights, a flicker of progress has emerged. The Public Works Department (PWD) has informed Delhi Police that work has been completed at more than 50 per cent of the city’s dark spots—areas lacking proper street lighting and considered unsafe, especially at night.
The Delhi Police had identified 4,289 dark spots city‑wide, and the PWD told police in a meeting that necessary work has already been finished at 2,800 of these locations, officials said, adding that the remaining sites will be addressed shortly.
It was further clarified that the repair and maintenance of street‑lights is a regular, ongoing process. In the meeting, PWD officials also suggested that any street‑lights remaining non‑functional for 15 days or more be reported so that repairs can be carried out immediately, they added.
A senior police officer said that whenever they come across a dark spot—“an area probably unsafe due to poor lighting”—the police first make an initial effort to resolve the issue on their own. Their first step is to assess whether the problem can be rectified internally. “However, when the matter is beyond the police’s capacity or jurisdiction, we contact the concerned authorities and pursue the issue with them,” the officer said. Another officer stated that, where crime is a concern in such areas, several steps are taken to address the issue. “If such areas are affected by crime, we increase both foot and vehicle patrols in the vicinity. We also signal our presence with sirens; whenever our personnel pass through dark stretches, they sound their sirens,” the officer said.
“We also stay in touch with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Market Welfare Associations (MWAs) to seek their help. We ask if they can assist us in resolving issues related to these spots. Where possible, we try to cover the entry and exit points with CCTV cameras,” the officer added.