Kanpur: City in darknessā¦ 20,000 streetlights not working due to lack of wires, switches, and equipment
The four hydraulic vehicles that repair streetlights are gathering dust in the workshop due to non-payment of CNG bills. Meanwhile, the repair of streetlights damaged due to carbon in the wires is also not happening. The Kanpur Municipal Corporation’s Street Lighting Department has over 20,000 non-functional streetlights due to a lack of wires, switches, and other equipment. As a result, most areas are plunged into darkness at night. People and councilors are complaining, but only those streetlights that were damaged due to carbon in the wires during the rains are being repaired.
The company responsible for installing and maintaining streetlights, EESL, left a year ago due to non-payment. The then Municipal Commissioner, Shivsharanappa GN, had started repairing streetlights using locally sourced materials, but the situation worsened after his departure.
On the other hand, the material approved by the current Municipal Commissioner, Sudhir Kumar, for repairing streetlights is insufficient. The approved file only mentions 90-watt drivers, whereas the city has around 90,000 110-watt streetlights and 200-watt lights on towers.
Senior councilors Navin Pandit, Abhishek Gupta Monu, Liyaqat Ali, Nisha Akil Shano, Mohammad Umar, Neelam, Kaushal, former councilor Neelam Chaurasia, Amit Mehrotra Bablu, and others have demanded that streetlights be repaired before the festive season.
Areas affected by darkness include GT Road, Kalpi Road, Ghantaghar to Yashodanagar Bypass Road, Govindpuri Bridge, Nayapul, Ghantaghar (Harrisganj Bridge), Dadanagar Bridge, Goshaala Chowk to Shyamanagar Road, Niralanagar, Gulmohar Vihar, Saketnagar, Kidwainagar, Babupurwa, Manshipurwa, Shyamanagar, Ashoknagar, and others.
The Chief Engineer in charge, RK Pal, said, “Files worth 40 lakhs have been approved for repairing streetlights. Materials have started arriving. Around 700 streetlights are being repaired daily. After the rains, I will get 1,000 streetlights repaired daily. The lights will be fixed before Dussehra. The streetlights are failing more frequently due to being seven years old.”
