It’s dark & dingy here after sunset

Satinder Pal Singh

Zirakpur, November 23

Travelling on the Nagla road here has become a nightmare for commuters. Reason: Most street lights installed in the area are non-functional for the past a year and a half due to a lack of maintenance.

Notably, the area witnesses heavy flow of traffic due as a number of real estates projects have come up here.

Poorly lit streets or those without any light pose a danger to residents, especially women. They complain of vehicles slowing down next to them or people passing lewd remarks.

At times, their guiding light is the torch in their mobile phones or headlights of passing vehicles. Accusing the civic authorities of not paying attention to the problem, local residents urged officials of the local municipal council to ensure proper maintenance of street lights.

Defunct street lights have affected the business in the town, posing trouble to traders in the evening hours. “The problem forces us to close our shops early. Despite paying taxes for basic facilities, the authorities have failed to repair the street lights,” said shopkeepers.

Sandeep Kumar, a resident of a society near the Nagla road, said, “It is surprising that no one in the municipal council bothers about non-functional street lights. During evening hours, area residents struggle a lot to reach their homes safely.

KN Lal, another resident, said “It is difficult to venture out of our house after the sun sets. We have to think twice before going out of our houses as it is not easy for elderly people to pass through the potholed road in the absence of street lights.”

SK Aggarwal, executive officer, municipal council, Zirakpur, disconnected the phone when called to ask about the problem.