Dysfunctional streetlights leave residents in the dark, feeling unsafe in city corners

Puducherry residents face safety concerns due to dysfunctional streetlights, prompting calls for better maintenance and coordination.

Several streets in Puducherry continue to experience darkness after the sun sets as authorities have failed to put in place a proper mechanism for promptly rectifying dysfunctional streetlights.

Complaints have been pouring in from residents of several areas, including Muthialpet, Lawspet, Krishna Nagar, Gorimedu and Olreanpet about frequent malfunctioning of streetlights in their neighbourhoods. People have raised safety concerns about poorly-lit streets as they have to step out with a constant fear of an impending danger around the corner.

A few days ago, former legislator and deputy secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Vayyapuri Manikandan had put out a video of dysfunctional streetlights in residential areas on Perumal Street and Belkis Street in Muthialpet.

“The areas near both the streets are under pitch darkness for the last three days. Ironically, one of the offices of the Electricity department in Muthialpet constituency, is located on Perumal Street. The residents have faced problems because of dysfunctional streetlights in the past also. Every time the department assures them of a long lasting solution but nothing has been done so far,” he said.

Streetlights had not been functioning in the locality for the last two days, said Segar, a resident of 9th Cross in Krishna Nagar. Such frequent disruptions were also reported from other places in Krishna Nagar. “The streetlights were not functioning for several weeks in our area. The repair work was undertaken only after repeated complaints. The days when the lights were off, we couldn’t step out of the house and had to wait for a family member to accompany us. The government should ensure that the streetlights were properly maintained,” said a girl student residing in Tagore Nagar, Lawspet.

According to a retired bureaucrat, the streetlights are installed by the Electricity department based on requests received either from the PWD or from the concerned local body. The Electricity department then charges the requisitioning departments for consumption of electricity, he said.

“The PWD/LAD/local bodies have not settled the electricity charges for a long time now and there are huge arrears pending. Therefore, the Electricity department, being a commercial organisation, is reluctant to put up new streetlights and carry out repair works on existing ones in a timely manner,” he said. Better coordination between the Electricity and Local Administration departments was essential to ensure that the streetlights functioned properly in residential areas, he added.