E-Paper
Defunct streetlights around Magarpatta a cause of concern for residents
Commuters said, travelling by two-wheeler or car has become risky at night due to the inability to see potholes and garbage ahead of them
Residents living around Magarpatta are facing inconvenience as most street lights are not working properly in the area for the past few weeks. Commuters said, travelling by two-wheeler or car has become risky at night due to the inability to see potholes and garbage ahead of them.
Senior citizens who often commute through the area expressed concern. Pratap Kulkarni, senior citizen, resident of the Annex Apartments in Magarpatta, said, “As traffic is hectic here, I find it difficult to cross the road. There should be proper street lights to prevent accidents, theft and pickpocketing.”
Prahlad Pawar, junior electrical engineer for Magarpatta area, said, “Streetlights are fitted with two printed circuit boards (PCBs). These boards contain small 18 to 20 LED light bulbs that are powered by LED drivers. When these bulbs are interconnected, it generates 36 watts of electricity which subsequently produces illumination. Since we get the electricity supply from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), an electrical short circuit may have increased the voltage capacity, in turn damaging the bulb, the driver, or the PCB itself. “
Pawar further stated that in the coming few days, streetlights will be checked to make sure they are functioning properly.
In addition to Magarpatta, residents from Pashan (near National Chemical Laboratory), Seasons Hotel road at Aundh, Maneckji Mehta road, Camp and Mutha riverbed road also complained about defunct streetlights.
A resident of Aundh took to Twitter to highlight the issue: “Poor lighting on the streets makes it a problem to see the broken bricks, gravel, stray dog faeces and left-over debris. While Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is focusing on the Smart City concept, their implementation is lousy.” (sic)
