BRIGHT garden, lakefront; Sonegaon residents demand immediate action

 

 

 

A newly-opened garden on the Sonegaon Lake frontage has begun attracting steady footfalls owing to its bright illumination and upgraded layout. Yet, this development has thrown the rest of the lakeside into sharper contrast. Beyond the garden’s boundary, the remaining stretch of the lakefront sinks into darkness each evening, creating conditions that residents say have encouraged anti-social behaviour and heightened risks for those who frequent the area after sunset. Sonegaon Lake has long functioned as a key recreational point for the city’s south-western neighbourhood. Families visit through the day, and elderly as well as health-conscious citizens rely on the walkway each morning for exercise.

 

In daylight, the lakefront continues to offer a clean, calm environment. The absence of lighting, however, transforms the same space into an unsafe corridor as dusk approaches. The well-lit garden, open from 5 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 9 pm, only underscores the problem by highlighting how inadequately lit the adjoining lake stretch remains. Residents state that poor visibility has directly facilitated misuse of the area. One local observed that the cleaned surroundings and new parapet wall have turned into “a perfect hideout where drinkers, gamblers and smokers gather freely because darkness shields everything”. Another regular walker said the contrast between day and night is stark. “The lake is excellent through the morning and afternoon, but once the light fades, the entire stretch becomes a blind spot.

 

People avoid it because they have seen what happens there after dark,” he stated. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has acknowledged the gap and launched a Smart Lighting Project aimed at overhauling illumination along the lake. The plan includes solar-powered LED lights, underwater lamps, motion-sensor pathways and artistic poles designed to improve both safety and aesthetics. Despite the project’s scope, completion is not anticipated before mid-2026, leaving the vulnerable stretch unaddressed in the immediate term. Civic officials maintain that work is progressing. “Smart Lighting Project costing Rs 3.9 crore is underway and will fully resolve the lighting concerns once completed,” informed R U Rathod, Executive Engineer (Electrical). Until the installation is carried through, residents argue that the discrepancy between public usage and safety will persist, with regular walkers and nearby households continuing to face the consequences of an unlit and increasingly misused lakeside.