<p>Bengaluru: The Safety for Women (SFW) collective launched the 'Be the Light' initiative, urging participants to pledge support for women's safety and speak out against abuse.</p>.<p>The initiative specifically aims to identify and address poorly lit and vulnerable areas across the city.</p>.<p>During a panel discussion, SFW founder Poornima called for collaboration over blame. "Instead of playing a blame game, we plan to come together and map these dark spots. We will gather crowd-sourced data, which will help the BMP understand where improvements are needed," she said.</p>.<p>BBMP East Zonal Commissioner Snehal R said, "Every year, Rs 10 crore is allocated for streetlight maintenance, but not for new infrastructure. However, this year, we have requested Rs 18 crore from surplus funds for new infrastructure."</p>.<p>Actor Priyanka Upendra mentioned the role of actors in raising awareness and using their platforms to draw attention to poorly lit areas in their neighbourhoods.</p>.<p>"In the US, there is a concept called neighbourhood watch. We cannot rely solely on the police for help after a crime has occurred. We should educate children about safety and increase the number of CCTV cameras," she added.</p>.<p>Pushpa S, Chief General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Bescom, stressed that local authorities must first provide infrastructure before power supply can be ensured.</p>.<p>"Our mission is to become number 1 in customer satisfaction in Asia. Under the Nirbhaya CCTV Implementation Scheme, we are committed to providing power to CCTV cameras within 24 hours of installation by the traffic police," she explained.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Safety for Women (SFW) collective launched the 'Be the Light' initiative, urging participants to pledge support for women's safety and speak out against abuse.</p>.<p>The initiative specifically aims to identify and address poorly lit and vulnerable areas across the city.</p>.<p>During a panel discussion, SFW founder Poornima called for collaboration over blame. "Instead of playing a blame game, we plan to come together and map these dark spots. We will gather crowd-sourced data, which will help the BMP understand where improvements are needed," she said.</p>.<p>BBMP East Zonal Commissioner Snehal R said, "Every year, Rs 10 crore is allocated for streetlight maintenance, but not for new infrastructure. However, this year, we have requested Rs 18 crore from surplus funds for new infrastructure."</p>.<p>Actor Priyanka Upendra mentioned the role of actors in raising awareness and using their platforms to draw attention to poorly lit areas in their neighbourhoods.</p>.<p>"In the US, there is a concept called neighbourhood watch. We cannot rely solely on the police for help after a crime has occurred. We should educate children about safety and increase the number of CCTV cameras," she added.</p>.<p>Pushpa S, Chief General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Bescom, stressed that local authorities must first provide infrastructure before power supply can be ensured.</p>.<p>"Our mission is to become number 1 in customer satisfaction in Asia. Under the Nirbhaya CCTV Implementation Scheme, we are committed to providing power to CCTV cameras within 24 hours of installation by the traffic police," she explained.</p>
