Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 19: The residents are facing inconvenience due to faulty street lights in several areas of north Kashmir’s Baramulla town, with locals accusing the Municipal Committee of acting as mute spectators.
As per the officials, out of 1000 street light around 400 lights are lying defunct for several months as the local municipality lacks the workforce to get them fixed. So, it plunged several areas into darkness after dusk.
The residents alleged that “VIP-sectors” falling around Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police office of the town are well lit but other areas like Main Market Baramulla, Old market Baramulla, Old town bridge and Khanpora and several others areas are in darkness after dusk forcing the shopkeepers to shut their shops after 5 p.m.
Locals said that these lights are lying dysfunctional for last several months and several complaints have been made to the municipal corporation to get them fixed but they have fallen on their deaf ears.
“The street lights were first installed in 2008 and then in 2014. In 2018, the Municipal Committee Baramulla again installed lights here, but some were of poor quality. We request the authorities to replace them,” Tariq Ahmed, President traders’ association Baramulla, said.
He added the lights remain defunct despite the assurances from Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, during a visit to the town, “seven months have passed since the he announced Rs 1 crore for repairing street lights and beautification of the town, but nothing has happened so far,” he said.
Farooq Ahmad, a resident said, that the markets shrouded with darkness haunts them in the evening. “We have been continuously pleading before Municipality officials to repair the streetlights in their area but unfortunately our plea has fallen on deaf ears. Visit our markets after 5 pm. The dark markets will haunt you”, he said.
Chairman Municipal Committee Baramulla, Umar Kakroo, told Excelsior that insufficient manpower has delayed the repairing of these lights. “I admit many street lights are defunct in Baramulla. We have negligible manpower in BMC. We only have two people which do not cater to the all the 22-wards. But, we have asked the PDD to lend a helping hand in fixing the lights. I have taken up the matter with the PDD. We have some issues with the allied department. We hope the issue will be resolved soon,” he said.
He added in the last two years they have installed around 700 lights. “There is a huge requirement of new lights. We will try to lit the dark spots so that people don’t face inconvenience during Ramadhan,” he added.
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