Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has been receiving complaints regarding blown fuses of the newly-installed LED streetlights.
Anti-social elements seem to be taking advantage of the resultant darkness with incidents of chain snatching and public drunkenness being reported from three residential colonies in different locations.
Streetlights were previously maintained by the GHMC itself, but ever since the conversion of the lights into LED lights, the task has been outsourced to contractors.
V. Sridhar, a resident of Navodaya Colony, Srinagar colony, says, “Fuses of seven LED street lights were blown during the rains. We have been requesting the GHMC to replace or repair them for over 20 days. After much persuasion, four of them have been replaced. We are facing issues such as people drinking in the dark and cases of chain snatching. Women are afraid to venture out post-dusk. Another issue plaguing us is the irregular parking of two-wheelers at Ganapati Complex. The area is blocked to such extent that even ambulances have to wait.”
Similar complaints regarding dysfunctional streetlights have been received from Om Sai Nagar Colony and Bhoo Devi Nagar Colony in the Alwal circle. A. Mahesh of Om Sai Nagar says, “It has been over 20 days since the streetlights went off. Officials of the electrical department of the GHMC have said that the contractor will replace them when there are a number of dysfunctional bulbs.”
The GHMC has set up a centralised control and monitoring system (CCMS) in order to address the complaints pouring in. GHMC commissioner Dr B. Janardhan Reddy says, “To address the complaints, the GHMC has introduced a CCMS for efficient management of LED lights. A total of 4.6 lakh conventional lights have to be replaced with LED lights, and this is expected to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent and operational and maintenance costs by 30 per cent. The CCMS will enable the control and monitoring of streetlights in Greater Hyderabad from a centralised command centre.”
