VIJAYAWADA: A ride to Amaravati through the pitch-dark Seed Access Road is no less than a nightmare. With headlights being the only source of light in the night and cars cutting the speed of the wind, commuters are most prone to accidents and attacks by thugs on this stretch. After remaining in darkness for many years, this arterial road is finally set for a major facelift as electrification works have picked up pace. Soon, street lights will be installed on the road, not just contributing to the beautification but boosting the safety of commuters.
Seed Access Road is known as the key connecting road to Amaravati. It is an important route connecting State High Court, Secretariat and Assembly. Thousands of commuters take this route on a daily basis. However, inadequate lighting on this stretch poses a risk to the travellers. To overcome this problem, the Amaravati Development Corporation (ADC) has taken up electrification works at an estimated cost of `2.89 crore on the directions of the High Court. The AP High Court Employees Service Association (APHCESA) had filed a writ petition on September 6 for the provision of lighting on roads. Later, it filed a plea alleging contempt of court by the officials.
Speaking to TNIE, Venu Gopala Rao, assistant registrar and also president of APHCESA, said, “The court has directed the government to electrify the roads leading to the High Court after we approached it, demanding installation of the street lights. Finally, the government has started arranging street lights, and we request the officials to complete the works at a brisk pace.” Meanwhile, GV Pallamraju, in-charge Chief Engineer of CRDA, said the street lights would be installed on an 8.7 km stretch of either side of the road from Venkatapalem Junction to Rayapudi via Mandam. “We are erecting 290 electric poles with LED lights on both sides of this road, which connects the High Court and Vijayawada. These works were started on April 1 and will be completed in a month,” he added.
According to ADC officials, the works being done by Visakhapatnam-based Srinivasa Electricals are likely to be completed by May. They also stated that there are three separate roads from Mangalagiri, Guntur and Vijayawada connecting with the High Court. “All the street lights are repaired on Karakatta Road,” they said.