Faulty streetlights on arterial roads in Puducherry pose risk to motorists
The Hindu
Residents and passers-by in Puducherry face inconvenience due to faulty streetlights, causing safety risks and challenges.
Residents and passers-by are facing inconvenience due to faulty streetlights in several localities along the arterial East Coast Road, Lawspet main Road and Perambai Road among others.
Several streetlights near the office of the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs at Thattanchavady have been dysfunctional for several weeks now. Similarly, streetlights on several stretches of the Perambai Road are not working. There are no streetlights on the intersection of the Perambai to Villupuram Road, the locals complain.
Several educational institutions and residential localities including Teachers’ Colony are located on Perambai Road and the lack of streetlights has been posing a multitude of challenges, they rue.
According to R. Natesan, a resident of Muthupillaipalayam, “The absence of lighting on the Perambai Road is a risk to motorists making them more vulnerable to accidents. Every time the residents complain to the authorities, we get assurances in return that the lights will be repaired. But nothing has been done so far.”
“The situation is no better near the traffic signal at Kokku Park. The stretch from the Kokku Park junction to the Thattanchavady industrial estate is pitch dark. There are no streetlights, posing difficulties for pedestrians and motorists. The situation is almost similar in most areas in the city,” says N. Shanthi, a resident of Vinobha Nagar.
According to A. Arasu Kumar, a businessman, “Half of the streetlights on arterial roads have stopped working. Spending crores of rupees is of no use if proper maintenance is not done. Though repeated complaints have been made, the concerned departments including the local body, Public Works Department, and the Electricity Department are passing the buck to each other, with no plan to repair the lights.”
A senior official said the issue was being looked into. Lack of coordination among various departments proved to be a hindrance to replacing the defunct streetlights.
