KOCHI: A majority of LED streetlights along the 17-km Edappally-Aroor stretch of NH66 have become defunct, making the stretch unsafe at night. At some sections, the streetlights have gone off just a month after installing them.
“It’s the Cochin Smart City Mission (CSML) which is entrusted with installing streetlights within the Cochin Corporation limits even if the stretch is maintained by the National Highways Authority of India. The streetlights in sections like Edappally-Palarivattom are defunct. Similarly, the lights put up on Vyttila-Pettah section have gone off just a month after their installation. This is despite the five-years’ guarantee promised by the contractors. We have written to CSML to take urgent measures,” said Vyttila division councillor Sunitha Dixon.
Similar is the case with stretches like Vyttila-Kannadikadu, and Kundannoor flyover. “A portion of the section where the service road from Maradu meets the Kundannoor flyover, the exit portion has sunk,” said Sojan George, a two-wheeler rider.
Illegal parking of container trucks poses a danger
Meanwhile, the illegal parking of container trucks along the road side and the service road are posing a danger. The trucks, after unloading new vehicles at showrooms on the Kundannoor highway stretch area, are being illegally parked at sections like INTUC junction, Madavana, and Kundannoor service road.
One of the longest bridges in pitch darkness
One of the longest bridges in the state, the Aroor-Kumbalam bridge, is in pitch darkness after the NHAI removed the streetlights along the stretch, as part of facilitating the national highway expansion works.
“The NHAI authorities have given us a letter citing that they are removing all the high-mask lights and LED lights on the stretch. However, the work is still some months away as they are yet to decide on the landing spot of the six-way Thuravoor-Aroor elevated highway. Now the stretch is in pitch darkness,” said Aroor panchayat president Rakhi Antony.
The bridge across Vembanad lake, spanning 993 metres, is one of the longest in the state, connecting Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts.