#MeToo: This data reflects why Delhi streets are unsafe after sunset

37% of unsafe locations reported by women have poor visibility at night

The issue of women's safety has once again come to the fore with several women coming out and sharing their experiences with sexual harassment on the social media campaign #MeToo.

According to data collected by Safetipin, 37 per cent of locations in Delhi that were reported as unsafe by women have poor visibility at night, indicating poor street lighting in the city.

The data, however, suggests that in Mumbai and Bengaluru, 40 per cent and 35 per cent of locations reported by women have been positively rated in terms of visibility. In Bengaluru 25 per cent out of the 1,881 bus stops audited, scored poorly in terms of safety, The Times of India reported. 

While voicing their opinion, many women claimed they were sexually harassed in public transport and locations that were poorly lit. Hence, this data assumes significance. 

Safetipin founders, Ashish Basu and Kalpana Vishwanath, have narrowed safety down to nine factors: lighting, openness, visibility, people density, security, walk path, transportation in the area, and feeling. Safetipin crowdsources information on these nine factors in order to paint an accurate and transparent picture of cities. 

There are an estimated 80,000 users and their responses are audited and assessed from time to time to understand problems on the ground, Viswanath told TOI. 

Other data

Studies by voluntary organisation Jagori and UN Women on a sample of 5,010 respondents in 2010 reflected that 95 per cent reported to have faced some form of sexual harassment in public spaces. The most common spaces were the street (69 per cent), public transport (51 per cent, waiting for public transport (41per cent) and markets (49 per cent), TOI reported. 

There are no government data available to verify these statistics. 

What is the status of street lighting in Delhi?

A project is underway to illuminate dark spots in the concerned areas after councillors of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation raised concerns over non-functional lights and lack of proper placement of existing street lights, The Indian Express reported in October last year. 

The Energy Efficiencies Service Limited (EESL) is also working with the civic bodies to replace halogen with LED lights and maintain them for a period of seven years.
 

Over 10,000 new street lights were expected to come up at the identified dark spots, The Indian Express had reported.