Kurla-Santacruz Road has no street lights for over a year

Kurla-Santacruz Road on January 2. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Kurla-Santacruz Road, famously known as CST Road, plunges into complete darkness after evening hours as there are no streetlights between Kolivery Road junction and Bharat Ratna Ambedkar Chowk junction in Kalina. On the adjacent Hans Bhugra Road, streetlights are only functional on one side, leaving the other lane dark.

Previously, streetlights were placed on dividers, but they were removed last year during the construction of the Santacruz-Chembur Elevated Link Road (SCLR). As a result, this nearly kilometre-long stretch remains without proper illumination.

"There have been no streetlights for more than a year," said Saddam Husain, a resident of Kalina. "After 9 pm, when the shops close, this road becomes pitch dark, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk, especially the elderly and children." Another local, Muhammad Sikandar, added, "It feels like walking in a village. Crossing roads at night is risky without proper lighting."

Priyanka Borpujari, who raised the issue on social media, revealed that Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited responded to her post. "The representative said the proposal for installing streetlights should come from the BMC. Before the SCLR came up, CST Road had well-lit dividers with plants. Now, all that is gone, and the entire stretch has turned dangerous," she said.

Borpujari, a former Kalina resident, expressed concern for older pedestrians. "The road is especially hazardous near Mumbai University, where it curves, and speeding vehicles add to the risk. This once peaceful street is now an accident waiting to happen. I initially thought the lights needed repair, so I contacted the BMC helpline. However, I was told it's an Adani Electricity issue. Adani representatives later informed me that the installation proposal must come from BMC. It's just a case of passing the buck," she said.

mid-day visited the site and confirmed the lack of streetlights. The stretch from Ambedkar Chowk to the Directorate of Maharashtra Fire Service building on Hans Bhugra Road has lights only on one side. The other side, connecting Kalina and the Western Express Highway, remains dark.

"This is a crowded road with heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Walking here after sunset is challenging and unsafe," said a pedestrian. BMC officials claimed they had installed streetlights from the Western Express Highway to the Mumbai University campus before the monsoon season but added that they would look into the "remaining unlit stretches".