Street lights on a busy 10-km stretch of the Outer Ring Road from Whitefield to Bellandur haven’t been working for the past two weeks. Pedestrians struggle to walk on the footpath. And those who need to cross the road have to dodge speeding vehicles whose headlights are on high beam.
Seema Sharma, a resident of Bellandur, told The Hindu that the stretch from Graphite India Junction in Whitefield to her neighbourhood is completely dark. “It’s a huge security risk, both in terms of risk of accidents and women’s safety. Notably, the hoardings are well lit. In fact, along with lights from malls and shops, they are the only source of light on the stretch,” she says.
Another commuter P. Selvaraj said that since there are no street lights, most motorists are using headlights in high beam, decreasing visibility and posing a risk for commuters as well. “I had a tough time riding my bike on the stretch two days ago. The street lights on Marathahalli flyover are also not functioning,” he added.
Ms. Sharma complained to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) almost a week ago only to be told that the problem may not be solved in the immediate future.
Ranganathan, executive engineer, Mahadevapura zone, said that the BBMP had called for a street light maintenance tender on ORR but it will be at least three weeks before they are set right.
It’s not just ORR that is facing this problem. Traffic cops have received complaints from the newly opened Doddanekkundi flyover as well.
“Lack of street lights and use of high beam lights are very dangerous for pedestrians and makes them all the more vulnerable,” said Abhishek Goyal, DCP (Traffic-East).
Advertisers and road cutting to blame?
Electrical wiring is often damaged by people who cut roads illegally. The other culprits are people who put up hoardings and neon light boards on medians.
The electric lines for street lights often stretch for a few kilometres. If the line is damaged, lights on the entire stretch will not get electricity.
“In the case of ORR, the wiring has been damaged by people who put hoardings on medians. They destroy the wiring while digging up the median. In some patches, the BWSSB has damaged wiring while cutting a road,” said Mr. Ranganathan.
Seema Sharma, a resident of Bellandur, told The Hindu that the stretch from Graphite India Junction in Whitefield to her neighbourhood is completely dark. “It’s a huge security risk, both in terms of risk of accidents and women’s safety. Notably, the hoardings are well lit. In fact, along with lights from malls and shops, they are the only source of light on the stretch,” she says.
Another commuter P. Selvaraj said that since there are no street lights, most motorists are using headlights in high beam, decreasing visibility and posing a risk for commuters as well. “I had a tough time riding my bike on the stretch two days ago. The street lights on Marathahalli flyover are also not functioning,” he added.
Ms. Sharma complained to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) almost a week ago only to be told that the problem may not be solved in the immediate future.
Ranganathan, executive engineer, Mahadevapura zone, said that the BBMP had called for a street light maintenance tender on ORR but it will be at least three weeks before they are set right.
It’s not just ORR that is facing this problem. Traffic cops have received complaints from the newly opened Doddanekkundi flyover as well.
“Lack of street lights and use of high beam lights are very dangerous for pedestrians and makes them all the more vulnerable,” said Abhishek Goyal, DCP (Traffic-East).
Advertisers and road cutting to blame?
Electrical wiring is often damaged by people who cut roads illegally. The other culprits are people who put up hoardings and neon light boards on medians.
The electric lines for street lights often stretch for a few kilometres. If the line is damaged, lights on the entire stretch will not get electricity.
“In the case of ORR, the wiring has been damaged by people who put hoardings on medians. They destroy the wiring while digging up the median. In some patches, the BWSSB has damaged wiring while cutting a road,” said Mr. Ranganathan.