Hyderabad’s streets are plunging into darkness as malfunctioning streetlights become a widespread issue, raising serious safety concerns among residents and commuters alike.
Despite the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) overseeing over 5.48 lakh streetlights across the city, numerous areas are grappling with dysfunctional lighting. Residents from localities such as Ameerpet, Yousufguda, Mehdipatnam, Shaikpet, and parts of the Old City have reported outages lasting for weeks, with no immediate resolution in sight. The situation is particularly dire in upscale neighborhoods like Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills, where streetlights are either non-functional or remain illuminated during the day, leading to wastage of electricity.
The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), responsible for the installation and maintenance of these lights, has faced challenges due to delayed payments from GHMC. Reports indicate that GHMC owes EESL approximately ₹144.48 crore, affecting the timely repair and replacement of faulty streetlights. Nevertheless, EESL has managed to address 98.9% of the 2.18 lakh complaints received over the past eight months, replacing over 44,000 faulty lights and installing new ones to meet the city’s growing needs.Residents have expressed frustration over the lack of accountability. In areas like Shaikpet, complaints about malfunctioning streetlights have been lodged through the GHMC App and emails to EESL officials, but many remain unresolved.
Social activist Maryala Ajay Kumar highlighted the community’s concerns, stating that the darkness in internal lanes has facilitated the street dog menace and increased the risk of miscreant activities.The GHMC has established a grievance cell to address streetlight issues, allowing citizens to report problems via a dedicated mobile application, toll-free number, and email. However, residents argue that the response time is slow, and many complaints are closed without resolution.The persistent streetlight failures not only compromise public safety but also undermine the city’s efforts towards sustainable urban development. As Hyderabad continues to grow, it is imperative for the authorities to prioritize the maintenance and timely repair of streetlights to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents.
Dark Streets in Hyderabad Worry Residents