‘Most streetlights dysfunctional on ORR’

A majority of streetlights on the 17-km stretch of Outer Ring Road from Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram is dysfunctional, a survey carried out by the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) on

A majority of streetlights on the 17-km stretch of Outer Ring Road from Silk Board Junction to K.R. Puram is dysfunctional, a survey carried out by the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) on Friday night showed. “In fact, our survey indicates that only about 30% of the streetlights on this stretch are functional,” said Krishna Kumar Gowda, operations manager, ORRCA.

The lack of functional streetlights has posed a multitude of challenges on the busy road especially concerns over safety of citizens. “There are concerns of accidents and crime rate increasing. The ORR is already more prone to robbery and mugging with gangs offering lifts to commuters at night. Dysfunctional streetlights will only make the situation worse. The absence of lighting is a risk to motorists making them more vulnerable to accidents. Already many motorists speed on the road at night,” said a senior police official, who did not wish to be named, as he said the police had already raised the issue at an appropriate forum and redressal was under way.

Additional Chief Secretary for Information Technology Department E.V. Raman Reddy had recently chaired a multi-agency meeting to ensure smooth working of several tech parks on the ORR in light of Namma Metro construction on the stretch. ORRCA had raised the issue of poor lighting following which Mr. Reddy directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to address the problem within 15 days.