Krishna Byre Gowda, Bengaluru Development Minister, has expressed anger at the poor maintenance of streetlights in some parts of the city and instructed the government to take immediate action.
The minister personally visited streetlight conditions in parts of Bengaluru to assess whether the city’s streetlighting infrastructure was being properly maintained. According to reports, several non-functioning lights were found, and safety concerns and the effectiveness of maintenance arrangements were raised.
Krishna Byre Gowda inspected the stretch from Hudson Circle to Chalukya Circle and checked the conditions of streetlights along the route. In the inspection, it was found that a significant number of streetlights were not functioning.
140 Streetlights Are Not Working
According to the inspection details, there were 222 electricity poles along the stretch examined by the minister. Of these, streetlights on 140 poles were found to be non-functional, highlighting the extent of the maintenance issue.
The findings have raised questions about whether contractors and officials responsible for maintaining the city's streetlighting system are carrying out their duties effectively.
The minister has directed the concerned authorities to immediately inspect streetlights in different parts of Bengaluru and repair all defective lights without delay.
Officials Directed to Act
Bengaluru Development Minister instructed local officials to focus on the maintenance and functioning of streetlights across the city. He stressed that lights that are not working should be identified and repairs or maintenance should be immediately done.
But the instructions come after the minister had ordered officials to pay attention to streetlight maintenance at various locations in Bengaluru city limits on August 4 in the report of the newspaper.
Even though the earlier directions were followed, the recent inspection revealed a large number of non-functioning lights, and so the minister expressed his anger.
The system is now being properly maintained, and complaints on non-functioning lights will be promptly handled by officials and contractors responsible for streetlight maintenance, he stated.
Public Safety A Key Concern
Streetlights are so important to pedestrians, drivers, and residents of the city that, in late evening and nighttime, streetlights are vital for public safety (especially at nighttime) for a lot of people. Poorly lit roads can create problems for traffic and lead to safety issues in busy areas of the city, which is when people come to the city at night.
The minister assured officials that residents and commuters should not face inconvenience because of faulty streetlights. Lights that are currently not working in places must be fixed at the earliest, he said.
The inspection also underscored the need for regular monitoring rather than relying solely on complaints from the public.
Warning To Officials And Contractors
Krishna Byre Gowda has warned that negligence in streetlight maintenance will not be tolerated. If there are still lapses, action will be taken against the officials responsible.
The minister has told the departments and contractors to take responsibility for maintaining streetlights properly and that they’re working properly (to maintain good infrastructure).
The latest inspection will put pressure on civic authorities and contractors to have better streetlight maintenance in Bengaluru. And now officials have to identify broken lights and perform repairs, and keep track of the town’s streetlighting network.
The discovery of 140 non-functional streetlights out of 222 inspected poles also highlighted the scale of the maintenance problem. The authorities should take immediate steps to deal with the problem and prevent similar lapses in the future.
