LUCKNOW, Dec. 1 -- Even as winter has set in and streets are enveloped by fog in the late evening and early morning hours, streetlights are of little help to commuters as they lie dysfunctional in several areas of the city. Despite multiple reviews, meetings, and public assurances, Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has not been able to restore lighting across several neighbourhoods. An inspection by this reporter on Saturday night revealed that several prominent areas of the city were poorly lit or completely dark. In Aliganj, multiple poles had either missing luminaires or fused lights. In Aashiyana and Gomti Nagar, entire stretches showed no signs of maintenance. Transport Nagar, a major transit corridor, also had several defunct lights despite heavy evening traffic. People in Aashiyana, Aliganj, Gomti Nagar, Indiranagar, Transport Nagar and several newer extensions of the city said they filed complaints on multiple occasions. However, the LMC has not responded with adequate repair work. Awanish, an employee at a hotel in Gomti Nagar Extension, "Many poles remain dark for weeks. When we last complained, an LMC official told us they are not receiving sufficient cable supplies. Because of this, the problem keeps coming back. Three or four days ago, a bike rider met with an accident here because the stretch was completely dark. He was taken to a hospital." Nitest Patel, a shopkeeper in Vibhuti Khand, said only a few lights were installed on the main stretch while large portions were left unlit. "Despite several complaints, nothing has changed. Once it gets dark, this entire patch becomes unsafe," he said. An LMC official said the city currently has over 2,18,000 streetlights installed. LMC chief engineer (mechanical and electrical) Manoj Prabhat couldn't be reached for a comment despite attempts. Prithvi Gupta, a corporator from Aliganj, said the mayor recently sanctioned 50 streetlights for his ward during Diwali. "We have submitted another demand, which we will present in the upcoming House meeting," he said. Corporator Mukesh Singh Chauhan said streetlight supply was adequate in his ward, and installation work was progressing smoothly. htc...