E-Paper
Street light repair work in Ludhiana going at a snail’s pace
After a survey in June, Ludhiana municipal corporation had claimed that only 1% street lights were not functioning
The repair work of dysfunctional street lights in the city is progressing at a snail’s pace. A number of street lights in various areas remain dysfunctional, damaged or missing.
After a survey in June, municipal corporation had found that only 1% of the street lights in the city were not functioning and the authorities concerned had directed the firm responsible to rectify the issue.
However, after a month, majority of the street lights are still dysfunctional. MC executive engineer Manjeetinder Singh said, “We will conduct surveys again at these areas so that we can rectify the issues. We will co-ordinate with the TATA company to expedite the repair and maintenance work to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
In 2018, the civic body had undertaken a project to replace 1.05 lakh conventional street lights with energy-efficient LED ones, at a cost of ₹13.39 crore.
A stretch from Model Town road to Dugri bridge is among the most affected by the issue as a majority of the street lights are broken or not functioning.
Jaspal Singh, a resident of Model Town area, said, “The street lights on this stretch have been dysfunctional for the past several months. This road falls into darkness after evening, which increases the chances of theft and other illegal activities. I request the municipal corporation to look into the matter and rectify the issue so that people do not suffer.”
In Dugri, a significant area remained engulfed in darkness. A local, Hartek Singh, pointed out that the chowk near Jasmine Market is consistently in darkness after 7 pm due to a damaged street light and pole. He said, “The problem is the same near CRPF colony in Dugri, which was highlighted numerous times as a large number of thefts have been reported in that particular area due to dysfunctional street lights.”
Sanjay Kanwar, superintendent engineer, said, “I will direct the concerned officer to look into the matter and rectify the damaged and dysfunctional street lights.”
Ravinder Singh, a resident, said, “I usually go through southern bypass to reach my house from the shop and multiple street lights at the bridge near Dugri road and Gill canal are damaged. It is very risky to use the way at night to .”
Jaskaran Singh, another resident, said, “The malfunctioning lights pose a serious risk to public safety, increasing the chances of accidents and criminal activities. Residents are worried about the lack of action by the municipal corporation.”
