At a time when solar lights are being considered an alternative to vapour lights for energy conservation of energy, streetlights by their thousands glow during the day, thanks to out-of-order timers attached to them and negligent civic employees who don't bother to switch them off manually either. This negligence has dug deep holes in KMC's coffers.
High power vapour lights are seen glowing at major thoroughfares like Chittaranjan Avenue, APC Road, Bidhan Sarani, AJC Bose Road, Camac Street, Asutosh Mukherjee Road, Harish Mukherjee Road, Rashbehari Avenue, Gariahat Road, Diamond Harbour Road, NSC Bose Road (Tollygunge), Raja Subodh Mullick Road during daytime.
According to a senior official of the KMC lighting department, the civic body now pays Rs 4.5 crore for illumination of street lights. "Some years ago, the amount stood at Rs 3 crore," said a KMC official. However, the KMC's member, mayor-in-council (lighting) Sushil Sharma, said the expenditure increased after the civic body took over lamp posts from KMDA, KIT and HRBC.
Sharma said that the KMC had been struggling to look after 1.5 lakh lamp posts under its jurisdiction. "We appeal to all citizens to kindly let us know if they see street lights glowing during the day. We will send our men to find out the fault," he said.
"Sometimes, timers installed to activate these streetlights don't work on time, keeping them on at daytime. Sometimes, these do not glow in the night due to the same reason," said a senior official of the KMC lighting department. In areas like, Behala, Jadavpur, Bansdroni, timers are maintained by the CESC and SEB. On some roads, the streetlights are operated manually.
