Latest news with #BoardOffice
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
9k ‘non-functional' streetlights leave city's road woes, potholes in darkness & doubts
Bhopal: The city's dismal, potholed roads are now shadowed by widespread street light outages, further intensifying safety concerns. A theft reported on Dec 28, 2024, from Ashok Vihar's 80 Feet Road left lights non-functional for over seven months now, highlighting persistent gaps in maintenance. Bhopal's Smart Lighting initiative, part of the Smart City project, monitors around 20,000 street lights via an integrated command center. As of last Thursday 8:30 PM, only 74.34% of lights were operational, with 47.26% energy savings—translating to roughly 9,749 lights turned off in the city. While the system promotes sustainability, its profit model ties operator earnings to energy conservation, making shutdowns financially advantageous. Attempts to reach Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL) CEO were unsuccessful. A street lighting consultant acknowledged around 4,000 lights were non-functional, though monitoring data showed 9,749. For instance, Link Road 1—from Board Office to Nanke Petrol Pump—has 280 lights. The system flagged 150 as off, but only 47 were actually shut down. Performance varies across zones. While 45 Bunglow, Aishbagh, and Chhola Mandir report 100% functionality, areas like Vidhya Nagar (36.26%), Link Roads 1–3 (38.02%), and Smart Road (51.68%) show significant outages. Ashok Vihar matches the city average at 74.64%, though its theft incident may have disrupted service. Even in other localities like Tulsi Nagar, Kolar Road and others, residents have reported street lights not working properly, which not only makes navigation difficult but also makes them feel unsafe on city roads. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
India Today
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- India Today
After the 90-degree flyover, now 'snake-like' bridge under scrutiny in Bhopal
Weeks after Bhopal's Aishbagh bridge drew sharp criticism for its sharp 90-degree turn, another bridge has come under scrutiny for its 'snake-like' structure and poorly placed dividers. Two accidents were reported within just eight hours on the Subhash Nagar Railway Over Bridge (ROB), raising serious concerns about its design and at a cost of Rs 40 crore and operational for two years, the Subhash Nagar ROB was envisioned as a key link between Maida Mill and Prabhat Petrol Pump, and an important route for commuters heading to Bhopal Railway Station. While it has eased traffic congestion in the area, recent incidents have exposed potentially dangerous flaws in its both the accidents, vehicles lost control while negotiating the bridge's sharp turns. In one case, a car collided with a road divider and flipped in the air. In another, a school van sustained damage after hitting the same divider. While no lives have been lost in these incidents so far, the risk remains high. These recurring accidents highlight the urgent need for the government and civic authorities to reassess the design and implement corrective measures before a serious tragedy FLAWS IN THE BRIDGE Subhash Nagar Railway Over Bridge Serpentine structure: The bridge has a snake-like layout, requiring drivers to make four sharp turns—right, left, right, and then left—within just a few seconds. This rapid sequence of turns leaves little room for error or timely positioned divider: One of the most dangerous elements is the divider placed immediately after a turn while descending toward Maida Mill. Its sudden appearance has led to accidents, especially for drivers travelling at high speed or at divider height: The divider's height is insufficient, making it difficult to spot, particularly under low-light signal issues: Vehicles approaching from the Board Office towards Prabhat Petrol Pump must cross traffic from Jinsi Chowk. However, the traffic signal at this junction is unreliable, frequently malfunctioning and increasing the likelihood of engineer and bridge expert Prakhar Pagaria expressed serious concern over the design, stating that serpentine bridges are inherently risky. 'Such shapes should be avoided unless space constraints leave no alternative,' he said.'Even then, they require careful oversight. If angles and elements like dividers are not meticulously planned, the result can be dangerous—especially for night-time drivers.' He added that having four quick turns without adequate response time is particularly unsafe.- Ends
