9k ‘non-functional' streetlights leave city's road woes, potholes in darkness & doubts
A theft reported on Dec 28, 2024, from Ashok Vihar's 80 Feet Road left lights non-functional for over seven months now, highlighting persistent gaps in maintenance.
Bhopal's Smart Lighting initiative, part of the Smart City project, monitors around 20,000 street lights via an integrated command center.
As of last Thursday 8:30 PM, only 74.34% of lights were operational, with 47.26% energy savings—translating to roughly 9,749 lights turned off in the city.
While the system promotes sustainability, its profit model ties operator earnings to energy conservation, making shutdowns financially advantageous.
Attempts to reach Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL) CEO were unsuccessful. A street lighting consultant acknowledged around 4,000 lights were non-functional, though monitoring data showed 9,749.
For instance, Link Road 1—from Board Office to Nanke Petrol Pump—has 280 lights. The system flagged 150 as off, but only 47 were actually shut down. Performance varies across zones. While 45 Bunglow, Aishbagh, and Chhola Mandir report 100% functionality, areas like Vidhya Nagar (36.26%), Link Roads 1–3 (38.02%), and Smart Road (51.68%) show significant outages. Ashok Vihar matches the city average at 74.64%, though its theft incident may have disrupted service.
Even in other localities like Tulsi Nagar, Kolar Road and others, residents have reported street lights not working properly, which not only makes navigation difficult but also makes them feel unsafe on city roads.
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