Misplaced priorities: Street lights dysfunctional in many areas
LED street lights. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
Despite being colloquially referred to as the city of lights, many of the street lights on some of Karachi’s most travelled highways and frequented public spaces are not functional.
The populace of Karachi has expressed their displeasure at the city’s administration, which according to them does not seem to care about the fact that thousands of street lights in the metropolis are missing, which not only makes the city unnavigable at night but also aids crime.
“Most of the city’s streets and highways are rundown, so going anywhere, whether it is by foot or car, is unimaginable at night in the absence of functional street lights,” complained a local Hamza, further adding that the administration did not care about making Karachi a livable city.
Concurring with Hamza, another local Furqan, who works as an electrician, said that commuting at night was a safety hazard in a city known for its crime rate. “Recently, when I stopped my motorbike to navigate a dark alleyway, two strangers pulled up to me and robbed me of the cash I was carrying,” he narrated.
Similarly, the spokesman for a local rescue organisation, agreeing with Hamza and Furqan, opined that a majority of the accidents and robberies that happened at night in the port city could be prevented if functional street lamps were installed everywhere. “But, sadly, no one cares.”
Moreover, an on ground survey carried out by the Express Tribune shows that street lights are non-existent on the city’s main highways and roads, including Liaquatabad Bridge, Nazimabad, Teen Hatti Road, and Lines Area.
When asked about the lack of street lights, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) Commissioner, Syed Shujaat Hussain, maintained that it was not a big issue.
“KMC is responsible for 28 significant roadways, out of which 75 to 80 per cent have street lighting,” Hussain claimed. “Often the lights are off on account of load shedding, otherwise we make every effort to illuminate every highway and street of the city,” KMC’s Commissioner added.
However, a representative of K-Electric, the utilities company responsible for supplying power to all of Karachi, said that load shedding had nothing to do with street lights. “All roadways are receiving power from the company and significant government facilities are exempt from load shedding,” the representative informed.
Therefore, the Express Tribune spoke to Sindh’s Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, about the plight of Karachi’s populace vis a vis street lights.
“With the advent of local bodies, public service will improve and issues like lack of street lights will be addressed. Our government remains committed to developing Karachi further,” assured Ghani while talking to The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2023.