Safety concerns grow as streetlights fail at Khader Bagh Road
Hyderabad: Residents of Hyderabad are voicing concerns about the persistent issue of non-functional streetlights, particularly at Paramount Hills Gate No. 4 and Khader Bagh Road. The lack of adequate lighting in these areas is causing significant inconvenience and raising safety concerns for the local community.
Anwar Hussain, a resident, highlighted the issue on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), urging the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) to take action. He wrote, “@GHMCOnline Kindly address the issue of non-functional streetlights at Paramount Hills Gate No. 4 and Khader Bagh Road. The lack of proper lighting is causing inconvenience and safety concerns for residents. Please resolve this at the earliest. #GHMC #Hyderabad.”
@GHMCOnline Kindly address the issue of non-functional streetlights at Paramount hills gate no 4 and khader bagh road. The lack of proper lighting is causing inconvenience and safety concerns for residents. Please resolve this at the earliest. #GHMC #Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/LHwNU022G6
— Anwar Hussain (@AnwarH1201) December 27, 2024
Another resident reported a similar problem, stating that no streetlights are working under the Shaikhpet Flyover near DMart Alhamra Colony in Jubilee Hills, an issue that has persisted for several months.
In response to these concerns, the official GHMC handle acknowledged the issue and said, “Dear Citizen, sorry for the inconvenience caused. We have forwarded it to the concerned team overseeing the maintenance of streetlights and will update the status soon. @EESL_India @EESL_KBZstlight.”
Dear Citizen, sorry for the inconvenience caused. We have forwarded it to the concerned team overseeing the maintenance of streetlights and will update the status soon. @EESL_India @EESL_KBZstlight
— GHMC (@GHMCOnline) December 27, 2024
However, the problem of non-functional streetlights appears to be widespread across the city. Earlier, residents of Satavahana Nagar Colony in Kukatpally also raised similar concerns, reporting malfunctioning lights for several months. Frustrated with living in darkness, these residents have called on GHMC and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) India to take swift action.
Md Ibrahim Lala, a resident of Hafeezpet, criticized the slow pace of repairs, stating, “It takes four weeks for GHMC workers to install streetlights. GHMC officers are very slow. It’s been two weeks, and the streetlights have not been repaired. @CommissionrGHMC @EESL_India @EESL_KPZstlight.”
Sarojini Jainapur, another resident, shared a similar experience, saying, “I received the same response from GHMC in Somajiguda Circle. Three streetlights have not been replaced since August 22, 2024.”
This ongoing issue extends beyond the locations mentioned. Areas such as Hitech City, Kukatpally Road, Raidurgam Metro, and the Hitech City flyover have also been facing problems with streetlights. Some lights have been out of service for over six months, while others are malfunctioning by staying on during the day, raising safety concerns.
The issue has also brought attention to the financial difficulties faced by EESL, which is responsible for the installation and maintenance of streetlights. Reports suggest that GHMC owes Rs. 144.48 crore in outstanding payments to EESL, with an additional Rs. 57.10 crore in unpaid annuity payments over the last six months.
EESL maintains approximately 5.48 lakh streetlights within the GHMC limits and has called for tenders to install an additional 15,000 lights, which could add a financial burden of Rs. 3 crores to the civic body. Despite these challenges, EESL has stated that payment delays should not be confused with performance issues.
EESL claims to have resolved 98.9 percent of the 218,422 complaints related to faulty streetlights over the past eight months. In the last two months alone, the organization replaced 44,753 streetlights and installed 3,600 new ones. EESL also reported that it has installed over 1.723 million streetlights across 140 municipal bodies in Telangana, including the GHMC limits.
