New Delhi: With the winter setting in and foggy nights and dawns likely to reduce visibility, Public Works Department (PWD) has launched a maintenance drive to ensure streetlights remain fully functional across east and south Delhi. The Department manages over 90,000 streetlights along the city’s 1,400 km arterial network. Lights in major east Delhi corridors, such as Vikas Marg and the ITO loops, are being inspected and repaired. Around 954 streetlights and 228 high-mast fittings are under maintenance at a cost of around Rs 61 lakh. In south Delhi, work is focussed on key roads, including Aurobindo Marg and Nelson Mandela Marg, where outages frequently disrupt traffic flow. All divisions have been instructed to maintain uninterrupted illumination in accident-prone and high-traffic areas. Tower wagons have been deployed at strategic points during night inspections and in case of accidental damage to the poles. In the past few months, several factors have led to streetlights malfunctioning across the city; on Oct 31, nearly 1,200 lights were reported to be on the blink. Within a day, 400 of them were repaired. Theft of cables and fittings remain a major challenge, particularly in east Delhi’s Geeta Colony, Barapullah Loop, Dallupura and Hindon Canal Road. Such incidents have also been reported from the northwest division. In South Delhi, most of the outages have similarly been linked to stolen cables, causing considerable revenue loss to PWD. The Department has filed multiple complaints about theft and vandalism, an official said.Technical issues, including cable faults, waterlogging and accidental damage to the poles, have also contributed to the streetlights not functioning properly. Officials said the current intensive maintenance effort is expected to ensure that most arterial roads in east and south Delhi remain well-lit and safe throughout the winter, thereby reducing accidents and making these stretches more secure for people. A new online monitoring system has been implemented to improve the maintenance of streetlights, the official said, adding, “Each pole has been assigned a unique number, making it easier to identify its location.” MSID:: 125033027 413 |
