Delhi police seems unhappy after the decision of switching off the street lights from 10 pm to 1 am, as the crime rate specifically against women might shoot up during the intentional dark hours created on the roads of the national capital.
After the power crisis in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, on Sunday ordered that the high mast halogen lamps in the streets which consume more power, will now be switched off during peak dark hours (10 pm to 1 am) to conserve energy.
‘I find this temporary solution of switching off street lamps during the peak dark hours unjustified. Those particular hours will become more vulnerable and criminals would have an edge,’ a senior police official said requesting anonymity.
As the Delhi Police cannot revoke the guidelines provided by the LG, the department has issued an order of increasing the police patrolling at those particular sensitive hours. ‘The numbers of policemen deployed in the night shift have been increased with immediate effect. Also, to provide safety and security of women on Delhi roads, around 350 additional PCR vans have been inducted for prompt action who will patrol through out the night,’ another official added.
‘According to a recent survey, there are already around 1,580 dark stretches noticed in the capital, now the new guidelines that will continue till 29 June will increase the number of poorly lit areas,’ he said.
‘Delhi is infamous for its crime against women, and now provoking and facilitating the criminals to execute more criminal activities like rape, molestation, eve-teasing is an unjustified solution for fighting against unpredictable power crisis,’ Ritwika Nayyar, a working professional sighed!
Despite heavy policing, in 2014, 797 rape cases were reported in Delhi till 3 May.
As many as 1594 molestation cases and 441 eve-teasing cases have been registered at various police stations.
‘Instead of swtiching off the street lamps from 10 pm to 1 am, the lamps could be switched on late.
‘Usually from 7 pm the street lights are supposed to get lit, so the time should be postponed to 9 pm and must be switched off at 4.30 am,’ Nayyar suggested.