Dehradun identifies 806 faulty street lights across 13 key routes in citywide repair drive

A district administration inspection has found 806 faulty street lights across 13 major routes in Dehradun, prompting a focused campaign to restore lighting on important city roads.

The inspection was conducted on the instructions of District Magistrate Dr Ashish Chauhan. Officials were assigned separate routes to assess lighting conditions with public safety and women’s safety in mind. The survey recorded both non-functional lights and locations where existing illumination was considered inadequate.

The Municipal Corporation, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and Smart City Limited have been directed to repair or improve lighting within their respective areas.

Route-wise findings

The largest number of faulty lights was reported between ISBT Shimla Bypass and Prince Chowk, where 132 street lights were identified. The Survey Chowk–Raipur route had 105 faulty lights, while 94 were found on the Rajpur Road–Mokhampur route.

The Sahastradhara Crossing–Pacific Golf Course route had 83 faulty street lights. 2 high-mast lights were also reported as non-functional along this stretch.

Other routes with substantial numbers of faulty lights included Mussoorie Diversion to the Secretariat, with 81, and Ghantaghar through Buddha Chowk to Rispana Bridge, with 65. The Ghantaghar–Premnagar route had 50 faulty lights.

The inspection also found 49 faulty lights between Cross Road Mall and Pawar Chowk, and 45 on the Ghantaghar–Mussoorie Diversion route.

The remaining reported locations were Ghantaghar to Niranjanpur Mandi, with 31 faulty lights; Rispana Bridge to ISBT, with 28; Ballupur Chowk to ISBT, with 26; and Shimla Bypass to Gorakhpur Chowk, with 15.

Dark areas to be marked

Alongside repairs, the administration has ordered authorities to identify areas that remain poorly lit at night. Particular attention will be given to major intersections, markets, hospitals, educational institutions and roads used by the public.

The initiative is intended to address dark stretches that can make night travel difficult and raise safety concerns for residents and commuters. The administration has directed the responsible agencies to speed up repairs and maintain regular oversight of the work.

Dr Ashish Chauhan has said that responsibility will be fixed if officials show negligence or cause avoidable delays. The next step is for the designated agencies to complete repairs and improve lighting at locations identified as dark areas.

Conclusion

Dehradun’s inspection has identified 806 faulty street lights across 13 key routes, along with poorly lit areas requiring attention. Repairs, better illumination at priority locations and regular monitoring have been ordered to improve night-time public safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many faulty street lights were identified in Dehradun?

The inspection identified 806 faulty street lights across 13 major routes.

Q. Which route had the most faulty street lights?

The ISBT Shimla Bypass–Prince Chowk route had the highest number, with 132 faulty street lights.

Q. Which agencies have been asked to improve the lighting?

The Municipal Corporation, NHAI, MDDA and Smart City Limited have been directed to act in their respective areas.

Q. Which locations will receive special attention?

Major intersections, markets, hospitals, educational institutions and public-use roads will receive special attention.

Q. Why are dark areas being identified?

The administration is identifying poorly lit locations to improve night-time public safety, including women’s safety.

Q. What action has the district magistrate ordered?

Officials have been instructed to accelerate repairs and conduct regular monitoring. Negligence or avoidable delays may lead to responsibility being fixed.