The unlit road stretch at Vartak Nagar, Thane West. Pic/ Sameer Markande

For months now, women residents of Vartak Nagar in Thane West avoid venturing out of their homes after sunset. The reason: the road stretch that connects the main road to their buildings has been in complete darkness. In recent times, the area, they claimed, has become a haven for miscreants, druggies and petty criminals.