Faulty streetlights plunge Kancheepuram colonies into darkness

Residents of Survatheerta Kulam Tank, Hiderpet, Rettipettai, Koiyakulam Street and Vijayakami Street are the worst affected as they have been living in the dark for more than three months now. S Murugan from the locality said they have asked officials to repair or change the lights several times but there has been no action taken. “Using this as an opportunity, anti-social elements are seen consume liquor at street corners.

Kancheepuram is one of the biggest municipalities with 51 wards and a population of more than 2.5 lakh people. Known for its silk and as temples, the town gets many visitors from other states and even countries. For the past few months, the municipality has not been concentrating on the maintenance works and as a result, many streetlights are not functioning.

“Women do not feel safe at night as there have been incidents of men under the influence harassing them while walking home alone. There have also been a few cases of chain snatching in the area,” said Kalaiselvi, a resident of Reddipettai.

When contacted, municipal engineer, Kancheepuram municipality, Ananda Jothi said, “We are planning to increase the number of employees to maintain streetlights. The work is in progress and the streets will be illuminated again soon.”