The relentless complaints regarding faulty street lights from various parts of the city have finally earned some response with the municipal corporation taking urgent steps to solve the problem through multiple interventions.
The Public Works Wing of the corporation has taken steps to replace all the irreparable tube lights with LED bulbs. Around 1,800 LED bulbs have been distributed across the city, including 85 on the National Highway stretch near Cheruvannur that has been in the dark for a few years. Besides, every ward will get 200 tube lights and the respective ward councillors can decide where to place them, said Public Works Standing committee chairperson T.V. Lalithaprabha.
“The major problem was in the west side of the railway line which comes under the Kallai KSEB division. We have solved the problem there to a great extend. Then there is the problem of the bulbs getting damaged in the beach side due to salty wind. We have made arrangements to replace the bulbs as and when they get damaged. The power cables are faulty in some parts, and are being repaired,” she said.
Contract
Light fittings getting stolen in parts of the Mini Bypass Road continues to be a problem for the corporation, which is now planning to entrust the maintenance of the street lights to a private agency. Talks are on with Uralungal Labour Contractors’ Cooperative Society. The society is likely to enter into a seven-year contract with the corporation. “They plan to install GPS system in all the lamp posts for identifying faulty bulbs instantly,” Ms. Lalithaprabha said. The maintenance of street lights has been a head ache for the corporation ever since the government relieved the KSEB from the duty and entrusted the work to the respective local bodies a few years ago.
