Police personnel manning Kohima streets under poor lighting

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 22 (EMN): Ever since the lockdown was imposed in the state to tackle the transmission of Covid-19, police personnel have been manning the streets to restrain non-essential movement of vehicles and people.

However, at nightfall, strategic locations on the streets of Kohima manned by the police are often seen with poor lighting.

There are only about four high mast lights installed in the state capital from BOC to High School, but it was learnt that the facilities have not been utilised for over a month.

The thoroughfares at BOC, Old MLA Hostel, Razhü Point and High School, serving as checkpoints by few police personnel, turn gloomy at night.

Police personnel have been manning the city under the faint light from a handful of small pathway solar lights and a few stores and shops.

High mast lights at Razhü Point and Old MLA Hostel areas are said to be not functional. It was also learnt that similar facilities below Nagaland Police Headquarters in Kohima at PR Hill and the one at High School have stopped illuminating.

“I have seen the street light at PR Hill without light for more than a month,” a police officer told Eastern Mirror.

Some police officers on duty also said that ‘it is not friendly for women’s safety as well as for general law and order related problems with such kinds of poor outdoor lighting system’.

“When there is not enough lighting, it encourages movement of people, anti-social elements and criminal activities,” a police officer said, adding that they have been performing duty without sufficient street lights “for quite some time”.

‘With poor lighting facilities, it’s not very convenient for both pedestrians and law enforcers,’ he reiterated.

“Generally, where there are more lights, there are less illegal activities,” he observed, saying that dim light emboldens some people to indulge in anti-social elements.

He also observed that under such situation, more people might loiter around and violate Covid-19 norms.

Another police officer said that good street light adds beauty to the city besides public safety.

One policeman, who is now stationed in Kohima, shared how they performed their duties under the bright street lights in South Delhi. ‘Even when night falls, it just looks like day time,’ he said.

“We were deployed in South Delhi, which is very advanced as ministers and MLAs live there,” he shared.

Lamenting poor lighting facilities in Kohima, he said street lights in his village in Kohima rarely function.

However, a woman said that poor electricity is not only being witnessed in the streets but in colonies as well.

“It is not a smart city when people living in Kohima face all kinds of prolonged power outages every day,” she said.