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Ludhiana: 75% streetlights on NH-95, NH-44 lying defunct, reveals MC survey
A survey reveals 75% of streetlights on NH-95 and NH-44 in Ludhiana are non-functional, raising safety concerns for commuters amid winter fog.
According to a recent municipal corporation survey, around nearly 75% of 3,000 streetlights installed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on NH-95 and NH-44 in Ludhiana are lying defunct for nearly a year, turning key highway stretches into dangerous dark zones as winter fog sets in.
The prolonged blackout is raising serious safety concerns for thousands of daily commuters, with accident risks expected to rise sharply during the season.
The most affected portion is the busy stretch from Ladhowal Toll Plaza to Samrala Chowk, where long patches have no working streetlights at all. Another major 30-km dark stretch runs from the Octroi post to Jagraon. Both stretches lie outside the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation, limiting the civic body’s ability to intervene directly.
Manjitinder Singh, municipal corporation executive engineer, said the corporation has repeatedly pressed NHAI to restore lighting but to no avail.
“We conducted a survey of the streetlights installed by NHAI on National Highways 95 and 44 earlier this month and found that 75% of approximately 2,000 streetlights are not working. We have written multiple letters to the NHAI, but nothing has been done yet,” he said.
Civic body officials claim that despite consistent follow-ups, NHAI has not responded to the complaints.
Attempts to reach NHAI project director Priyanka, remained unsuccessful.
Road safety experts warn that visibility-related crashes surge every winter. National Road Safety Council member Kamaljit Soi said the situation has become a seasonal hazard.
“Deaths often occur due to accidents on NH-95 during the winters, especially in the evening. Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders struggle without lighting as it gets dark. The NHAI is charging tolls on the Jagraon road, which is unfair,” he said, questioning how tolls can be collected while essential safety infrastructure is neglected.
Meanwhile, civic body officials say they face daily complaints from residents who mistakenly believe the corporation is responsible for maintaining the lights. “People do not know that the streetlights on national highways are maintained by NHAI,” an official said.
Commuters are demanding immediate repairs before dense fog intensifies. With thousands of vehicles using these stretches every day, residents say the onus lies on NHAI to restore lighting without further delay.
