Defunct street lights raise safety concerns
The issue, which has persisted ever since monsoon intensified, was attributed to an alleged lack of repair and maintenance by the responsible authorities, including the National Highways Authority of India and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The situation is particularly dire along NH-16 where street lights are malfunctioning not only on the main carriageway but also on service lanes. This has left motorists and pedestrians navigating dark stretches, posing significant safety risks.
"The street lights on NH-16 have been functioning irregularly recently. They are sometimes working on the flyovers and at other times, on the service lanes. It might be okay for motorists to navigate, it is a highly risky situation for the pedestrians and cyclists," said Kamalakanta Mishra, a resident of Acharya Vihar.
Similar issues have been reported on other major roads, such as the Bomikhal ROB, a road frequently used by the nearby residents, and Sainik School Road, where the movement of BMC's 'Safa Vehicles' is frequent due to nearby waste processing facilities.
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On Apollo Hospital Road, a major six-lane thoroughfare, residents have complained about insufficient lighting caused by overgrown trees on the medians and the inadequate height of the poles, resulting in poorly lit primary stretches.
Urban planners suggested that the civic body should conduct regular energy audits to address these issues. "Periodic energy audits provide an overview of if new lights need to be installed or if the height of poles needs to be changed," said Dipu Nanda, a city-based urban planner.
On Tuesday, Usha Padhee, the principal secretary of housing and urban development department, convened a review meeting with senior officials and field functionaries where, among other issues, the progress of the LED Public Street Lighting programme across 115 urban local bodies was discussed. Padhee underscored the need for continuous monitoring, identification of gaps and timely resolution of bottlenecks to improve overall outcomes.
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