JAYAKRISHNAN VU
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Oct 2: Most of the LED lights installed amid much fanfare by the municipal authorities have gone dysfunctional in many parts of the city, bringing the old woes of darkness back to residents.Several crowded areas of the city that frequently witness thick traffic in the evenings such as Forest Park, Vani Vihar flyover and Chandrasekherpur have been facing complete blackout as the LED lights installed there no longer shine.
“Our evening lives in these parts have been turned upside down as darkness has once again filled our lives,” said Manas Pati, a resident of Vani Vihar area. Women and children, he said, are scared even to walk in the locality after 7 pm, fearing to be hit by chain snatchers and eve-teasers who operate under the cover of darkness.
Motorists have a tough time navigating their way on the dark streets after a hectic day’s work. “The road is full of dust coming from the on-going flyover construction work, which obscures one’s vision. Now, the absence of streetlights has made our journey very dangerous. Our families wait anxiously praying for our safe return,” said a motorist who commutes from Rasulgarh to Jaydev Vihar daily.
Even as the citizens are having a tough time in the absence of functioning streetlights, municipal authorities are engaged in pointing fingers at each other. Ward number 55 corporator Seema Nayak said, “Many of the LED lights are not at all functioning in my ward. People are suffering in silence despite bringing the matter to the authorities concerned.” She said she has raised the issue in the corporators’ meeting held at BMC Wednesday and that no action was taken by the civic authorities after it.
BMC officials, however, said National Highway officials have not taken any steps to undertake the cabling work of the electric poles, which led to the non-functioning of the lights.BMC commissioner Krishan Kumar said recently that the civic body has so far installed about 13,000 LED lights in the city out of its target of 20,000 lights. He said officials are hopeful of completing the target of the first phase within three months.
BMC officials also said LED lighting in the city would be improved and expanded in the second phase of its implementation. LED lights would be installed in cities like Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Cuttack city in the second Phase, said officials.
