Hyderabad: Here streetlights remain on during daytime

Hyderabad: Inspite of the fact that there is a severe power crisis resulting in unscheduled power cuts in some areas, streetlights in many parts of the city were seen burning even during the daytime. While some of the areas remain poorly lit, streetlights in others are switched on for 24 hours.

The reason that was cited was due to the technical error in the automatic switch system of streetlights. Activist and resident of Asifnagar, Dr Lubna Sarwath said, "There have been power cuts in the area for several times, but the next day while I was driving towards Mehdipatnam there I observed that streetlights were on in the broad daylight and residents suffered from load-shedding."

Lubna also noticed that streetlights were switched on even during daytime at the Gudimalkapur area as well. She tried registering the complaint with the State electricity department but the officials replied that the city civic body is responsible for the maintenance of streetlights.

She said there should be a periodic check by the concerned authority. "We pay our taxes on time, as well as electricity bills, and our money, is being wasted here," Lubna lamented.

Another resident of Mehdipatnam, Shaik Amer said, "The streetlights on the main road have been switched on for the past three days, while there are several other areas in the city where streetlights have become non-functional. The officials must repair the automatic on and off switch system or ensure the best streetlights operation that works properly. Ignoring the switched on streetlights during daytime is just a waste of electricity."

Last year, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) identified a total of 1,260 darks spots in the city and had proposed to install new 9,500 street lights and 3,500 new electric poles in poorly lit places. According to the Electrical wing of GHMC, there are 4.53 lakh streetlights within the GHMC limits.