Potholes, dark spots on streets: Women say safety, sanitation key civic concerns

NEW DELHI: Patchy street lighting, the poor upkeep of roads, sanitation, and inaccessible footpaths were among the key issues that women voters in various parts of the city took into cognisance while voting in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls on Sunday, as they called on councillors elected on December 7 to work towards addressing these concerns.

Aditi Dalmia, a resident of Civil Lines, said that there are a number of dark stretches near her house, where streetlights did not function on a regular basis. “There are two key issues that should be addressed by the next representative. Streetlights should be in working condition. When we talk about road upkeep, it’s also important to pay attention to garbage disposal and the use of plastic. Roads are littered with plastic all the time,” she said.

Deep Sandhu, a 60-year-old from Janakpuri’s C3 block, said she cast her vote to demand cleaner streets and better efficiency from the civic body. “Sweepers are very erratic, which means that streets are dusty throughout the year. Leaves and any garbage thrown on these roads is also never cleaned,” she said.

Jasmine Kaur, 19, a first-time voter, said her vote took into account two key issues — sanitation and air pollution. “It is clear that the MCD plays a role ensuring cleanliness, but I feel that is not being done adequately. Delhi also needs to focus on a solution to air pollution,” the Tilak Nagar resident said.

Lakshmi Bisht Roy, who lives in Timarpur, said incidents of crimes against women have shot up in the area, adding that she voted with the hope that the next elected representative works toward improving safety. “Streetlights also don’t work all the time and safety needs to be spruced up. Garbage often lies unattended for weeks. This needs to change,” she said.

Sunita Shukla, 23, also from Timarpur said footpaths near her house often had obstructions, making it difficult for her to navigate them as she is vision impaired, with the first-time voter adding that civic amenities did not take into account the challenges faced by women, especially differently abled women.

Padma, a homemaker who lives in Rajinder Nagar, said sanitation is a major concern. “It is about time the civic body puts a proper system in place. Another issue is that the colony road has not been repaired for years,” she said.