Tamil Nadu tops in human trafficking: MHA report

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The Union home ministry has suggested that doing something as simple as ensuring that streetlights function in all places, especially lonely stretches and alleys, can cut down crime against women.

This is one of the measures recommended by the Union home ministry to state governments after it found that in many instances of women being attacked, the incidents have happened in dark, isolated areas. The latest report also showed that there is an increase of 4.1 per cent in crime against women.

According to the 2010-11 annual report, Andhra Pradesh tops the country, registering 12.5 per cent of the total incidents of crime against women. Tamil Nadu stands No. 1 in cases of human-trafficking, accounting for 781 cases out of a total of 2,851 cases in the country.

The ministry suggested that “people–friendly streetlights should be installed on all roads” to combat crime against women. Other measures include increasing the overall representation of women in police forces, setting up exclusive crime against women and children’s desk in each police station.

In Chennai, as per corporation records, over 1 lakh streetlights are used in the city. But many residents complain that the lights are not properly maintained.

“The Bharathidasan colony stretch in Ashok pillar area has no proper light facility. There were instances of women being ‘insulted’ by miscreants at night,” said local resident B. Suba.

Admitting that complaints of absence of streetlights are increasing, a senior Chennai corporation officer said, “Our latest data says 3 per cent of streetlights in the city are faulty. As the city limits are expanded to the suburbs, we have to survey and fix lights in all the remote places.”