Pune: Over 100 Streetlights Stolen From PCMC’s Urban Street Projects

Pimpri Chinchwad, 25th June 2026: More than 100 decorative streetlights installed as part of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Urban Street project have been stolen from key roads across the city, prompting the civic body to file complaints with the police.

The thefts have been reported from several stretches where the municipal corporation had undertaken urban street design projects, which included the development of wide footpaths, cycling tracks, landscaping and installation of decorative lighting infrastructure.

According to civic officials, between 100 and 125 lights mounted on ornamental poles have gone missing from at least three to four locations in the city. The thefts have affected illumination along pedestrian pathways and cycle tracks, officials said.

Over the past few years, the PCMC has implemented urban street projects on major roads, including stretches from Dapodi to Nigdi, Thergaon, Dange Chowk, Nigdi-Pradhikaran, Ravet, Akurdi, Pimple Gurav, Pimple Saudagar, the Sangvi Phata–Kiwale corridor, Alandi Road, Pimpri and Nehrunagar. The projects involved road redesign, dedicated cycling infrastructure and installation of aesthetic street furniture and lighting.

The official added that the thefts were reported particularly along the service road on the Dapodi-Nigdi corridor, where decorative lights mounted on poles have disappeared, leaving portions of the footpath inadequately illuminated.

The incidents have also raised questions about the effectiveness of the city’s surveillance infrastructure. PCMC has installed more than 6,000 CCTV cameras across the city, but officials acknowledged that several cameras are either non-functional or in poor condition.

Civic officials said functional surveillance cameras could help identify those involved in the thefts. However, with many cameras reportedly not operational, concerns have been raised over monitoring and security of public infrastructure.

The urban street projects, which have been developed at considerable cost, have received a positive response from residents and are widely used for walking, jogging and cycling. Civic officials said efforts are underway to identify the culprits and prevent further thefts.