The residents of north Kashmir’s Sopore town Sunday complained that they were subjected to tremendous inconvenience as the streetlights in the town were lying defunct for the past five years and the authorities did not pay any heed to repair them.
People living in the apple town Sopore said that as soon as dusk sets in, the entire town plunges into darkness as the streetlights erected at various places were lying defunct.
“The streetlights along the main roads of the town including Iqbal Market, main chowk, Shah Dargah Chowk, bus stand road, downtown, Chankhan Bridge and main bazaar are lying defunct,” the residents said. They said that the concerned departments had not bothered to repair the streetlights or install new ones where ever needed. “Though at some places, high mast-lights were erected few years back but they too function occasionally,” said President Economic Alliance Sopore, Muhammad Ashraf Ganaie.
He said that the assurance of the authorities of installing more high mast-lights at busy market places proved to be a “hoax”.
Ganaie said that they had several times brought the issue to the notice of the government and the concerned officials but to no avail. He said that the issue was also raised during ‘My Town, My Pride programme yet the authorities had failed to take notice.
The streetlights installed on Chankhan Bridge here are yet to be made functional even after the passage of over 20 years.
“The streetlights were installed on the bridge on both the sides when the bridge was completed but unfortunately they were never put to use,” said Feeroz Iqbal Bhat of Ashpeer Sopore.
Executive Officer Municipal Council Sopore, Sameer Jan told Greater Kashmir that they had issued a fresh tender and work would be started soon to make all defunct streetlights of the town functional.