Raipur Municipal Corporation has distributed 1,978 streetlight sets across all 10 zones and 70 wards, but dark stretches continue to be reported in residential areas and on roads developed under the Smart City project. At a review meeting on November 2, officials told the mayor that installation was progressing slowly in some areas, citing manpower shortages.
The mayor directed zonal officers to form teams and conduct ward-wise installation drives before Diwali. They were also instructed to repair existing non-functional lights, after civic reviews and local reports highlighted inadequate illumination on major roads, market areas and public spaces.
The distribution was made through the infrastructure fund and the corporation’s general fund. Zone 1, Zone 3 and Zone 10 received 212 sets each, while Zone 2 received 140. Zone 4 was allocated 202 sets, Zones 5 and 7 received 200 each, Zone 6 received 215, Zone 8 received 197 and Zone 9 received 188.
The latest review followed earlier directions to improve lighting. On September 18, the mayor had asked zonal electrical teams to conduct night inspections and repair defective lights, particularly along major roads, in market areas and around public spaces. A subsequent report on October 7 recorded complaints from more than 12 localities, including Anupam Nagar, Daldal Seoni and Devendra Nagar.
The lighting problem has also affected roads built under the Smart City project. A report on October 18 identified non-functional lights on the Jaistambh Chowk–Fafadih stretch, inadequate illumination between the Collectorate and Khalsa School, and a non-functional memorial lighting installation on the Mahila Thana–OCM Chowk stretch towards Rajiv Gandhi Marg. The six roads covered in that report were developed at a reported cost of around Rs 32 crore.
The corporation has allocated Rs 50 lakh for streetlight repairs, according to the earlier civic communication cited in the report. However, it has not specified the total number of streetlights installed across the city, the number currently not working, or how many of the newly supplied sets have been installed so far. That leaves the city without a publicly stated baseline against which the repair and installation drive can be measured.
The review also flagged delays in nine playground projects intended to expand sports facilities for young people. The projects have a sanctioned cost of Rs 589.91 lakh, or about Rs 5.9 crore. Work has progressed at four grounds, while five remain held up by disputes and procedural hurdles. The mayor directed officials to resolve the issues within a stipulated timeframe.
The immediate municipal priority is to complete ward-wise installation before Diwali and repair existing non-functional lights. The pace of execution and the extent of improvement in street-level lighting will determine whether the fresh distribution addresses the dark stretches previously identified across Raipur.
