Seshadri Road: An area of darkness

Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

It is a known fact that the majority of road accidents take place due to lack of street lights at night in the city. Better lighting would also help reduce crime in the city.

However, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is not honouring its commitment of either installing LED street lights or to replace existing sodium vapour street lamps since 2017.

It is not that BBMP did nothing to install LED street lights. It did at some locations but not making any attempt to provide proper lighting at night for the benefit of pedestrians and motorists.

For example, the BBMP has remodelled KR Circle at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated it with much fanfare. However, the BBMP authorities have conveniently forgotten or ignored installing LED street lights on both sides of Seshadri Road, thus causing a lot of inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.

“I think the BBMP removed sodium vapour street lights while upgrading the footpath on both sides of the road more than six months ago. I want the BBMP authorities to install the LED street lights as early as possible for the welfare of motorists as well as pedestrians,” said Purushotham Naidu, a motorist.

The BBMP spent crores of rupees for the upgradation and remodelling of footpaths on Seshadri Road. It is contemplating taking up white topping work on this road which is expected to be closed for traffic for some time.

“I am not against white topping of Seshadri Road. The BBMP authorities are free to take up the wo rk b u t it does not mean they should delay the installation of LED street lights,” said Lakshman Rao, a motorist.

There is a subway and a skywalk on this stretch for the benefit of pedestrians who want to reach the other side of this busy road without any hassles. But it would not be safe for the pedestrians to use either the subway or the skywalk at night in the absence of street lights.

“It is not safe for pedestrians to use either the subway or the skywalk after sunset. I do not know why the BBMP authorities are not fixing this issue without any delay,” said Naveen S, a pedestrian.

There is nothing to celebrate or crow about the remodelling of the footpath. Protruding cables have become a hurdle for the pedestrians who have to be extra cautious. The contractor is yet to fill up the ditch on the footpath near the Department of Collegiate Education Office. A portion of the footpath is incomplete near the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.