Lighting Up Streets: Over 5,000 Streetlights To Be Installed Across Chennai Under Nirbhaya Scheme

As a part of the Nirbhaya scheme for the protection of women, steps are being adopted to illuminate several poorly-lit streets across Chennai city. The grant request presented by the Municipal Administration Minister, KN Nehru has chalked out 5,594 street lights and 85 high mast lights in addition to the existing two lakh LED street lights. The decision has allegedly come across after repeated complaints about thefts and safety concerns from locals in these localities.

Illumination Underway

For the 2022-23 year grant request, the Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru announced that more street lights would illuminate the poorly-lit streets under the Nirbhaya scheme for the protection of women. As per reports by the New Indian Express, an additional 5,594 street lights and 85 high mast lights will be installed at an estimated cost of ₹33.57 crores across Chennai. Currently, there are about 2,91,415 LED street lights in the city maintained by the corporation's electricity department.

A statement by the civic body further stated that as many as 1,104 energy-saving LED lights are being arranged to be set in stretches of Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur. The Kodambakkam region would receive yet another 585 street lamps, and the bustling streets of Anna Nagar would receive 601 more lights. Under the same initiative, 1,987 rusted and short street lamp poles will be replaced with a fund of ₹7.53 crore.

Earlier, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had received a list of many such streets which were identified as "dark spots" by the city traffic police. Officials from the GCC then conducted due surveys and submitted the estimates upon which the request was submitted. KN Nehru has said that the additional set is being installed in view of the safety and protection of women. Other reports reflect on the repeated complaints of theft and safety issues that have been raised in these regions.

A Hopeful Transition From The 'Tender' Stage

Earlier in march 2022, there were reports stating that not much of the Nirbhaya funds were being put into use in Tamil Nadu.

As per a report by the Times of India, Tamil Nadu has utilised merely ten per cent of the funds allotted by the Centre to improve women's safety in the state in the year 2021. Most projects envisioned under the scheme were described to be within the "tender" stage. There was initially a tender to install CCTV cameras in 3,500 locations that were deemed hotspots for crimes against women.

However, with the change in government, the tender was scrapped, and new tenders floated up. Out of the ten different projects proposed under the Nirbhaya scheme, the corporation completed three projects, including remote monitoring of streetlights and the hiring of project management consultants and experts for the Gender Lab. However, in terms of infrastructure, there has not been much done.

Also Read: To Strengthen Women Safety, Rs 200 Cr Given To States, UTs: Ministry Of Home Affairs