Hyderabad: Motorists commuting on the 5-km Errakunta-Pahadishareef arterial road are facing problems in the absence of streetlights. Around 50 colonies are located on either side of the road. “The headlights of the vehicles illuminate the road for a while and then it is pitch dark again. What if someone tries to cross the road and is hit by a speeding vehicle,”asks Mr Samad Siddiqui, a resident of Wadi-e-Omer. The road is used by several pedestrians who alight from autorickshaws and buses before walking up to their houses.
“The only source of light are the bulbs put up by shop keepers. When the shops closes, and especially when it is drizzling, crossing the stretch is scary. Puddles of water increase our problems,” said Ms Shahzia Begum, who works at a hospital. There are several function halls and eateries on the stretch, especially the Sadathnagar and Errakunta areas and draw people from distant places. Temporary shanties are also put up on the roadsides at several places and business is conducted with the help of portable emergency lights.
The Pahadishareef police feels that there is scope for thefts on the unlit stretch and has asked local municipal officials to take remedial measures. Following the request, the authorities put up a few mini mast lights at six places, but it is considered to be of little help by the locals. When contacted, Jalpally municipality commissioner Mohd Saber Ali said they had plans to install LED lights on the entire stretch. “We have called for tenders and the process of installing the streetlights will commence by next month,” he said.
