Guwahati's street lights are set for restoration with a Rs. 7 crore tender, but residents remain skeptical due to past failures and other degrading maintenance projects
Guwahati is once again on the cusp of an upgrade—this time with its street lights. With a staggering Rs. 7 crore tender secured by a firm to restore and maintain the street lights, one would assume brighter days—or nights—are ahead. However, as the public watched curiously while thick coils of wire were laid along the GS Road dividers, hope seemed dim, much like the city’s notorious street lighting problem.
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Historically, Guwahati’s street lights have been a source of frustration for its residents. With installations spread across the city, only a handful remains operational, leaving many stretches of road in near-total darkness. “It’s always the same story,” an anonymous local resident lamented. “The authorities spend crores, yet only a few lights ever work. We pay our taxes, but where’s the return?"
This latest initiative promises to improve the situation, but the scars of previous failed efforts are hard to ignore. While the tender mandates that the firm will maintain the lights for the next two years, many citizens question whether this is simply throwing good money after bad. “We’ve seen projects like this before. New contracts, new promises, and still, no results,” an anonymous shopkeeper along Hatigaon Road remarked cynically.
A Public Works Department (PWD) official, speaking to GPlus, confirmed that the tender was indeed for the street light restoration. "The work has begun and will be completed before Durga Puja," he assured. Yet, in the city, faith in these claims remains dim. “Let’s see if they can stick to this deadline. It always seems to stretch longer,” another anonymous motorist added, his tone laced with doubt.
The execution of the project itself has been called into question, particularly regarding safety measures. Late-night road works have seen workers operating without reflective gear or proper barricades, merely relying on cones to mark off sections of the road. Speeding vehicles, caught unawares, have been forced into sudden halts. “It’s a disaster waiting to happen,” said a worried motorcyclist. “I nearly crashed into one of the workers. No warning, no safety gear, just cones and confusion.”
Several motorists have raised their concerns about the unannounced partial road closures, which have only added to their frustrations. The lack of planning and foresight by the authorities has once again put the public at risk, leading to further criticism. “It’s ridiculous! Not only are we dealing with broken street lights, but now the repair work itself is unsafe. It’s like they’re trying to get it wrong on every front,” a commuter commented, summing up the mood of many Guwahati residents.
As the firm rushes to complete the project ahead of the Durga Puja deadline, the public remains sceptical. After all, the past failures of the PWD and other departments have left citizens jaded and distrustful. The question now is whether this new contract will deliver on its promises or simply add to Guwahati’s long list of unfinished, ineffective projects.
Only time will tell if the city’s streets will finally light up—or if this effort, like so many before it, will simply flicker out.
