NILGIRIS: Residents of O-Valley Town Panchayat near Gudalur, an important corridor for wild elephant movement between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, raised concerns over inadequate streetlights, saying the lack of lighting is increasing the risk of man-elephant encounters.
Most streetlights in O-Valley are solar-powered, particularly in areas without regular electricity supply. However, residents said several of these lights stop functioning by 8.30 or 9 pm, leaving roads and residential areas in darkness for most of the night.
The problem is particularly acute in Barwood, Tiruvallur Street, Arottuparai and Four Number Vayal. The residents pointed out that even the high-mast light near the O-Valley panchayat office has remained non-functional for the past four months.
Residents questioned the delay in repairing the light despite repeated complaints to the contractor. They said the prolonged neglect of a light located in front of the panchayat office raised concerns over whether similar complaints from residential areas would be addressed promptly. The lack of lighting has left motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders, who frequently travel through areas where elephants are known to move worried. Residents said better illumination would help them identify elephants from a distance and avoid approaching the animals.
Recently, a wild elephant had chased a youth in Ellamalai area. In another incident, an elephant chased a forest department vehicle while staff were carrying out an operation to drive the animal away.
“We can identify the movement of elephants with proper lighting and avoid getting close to them. The authorities should not wait for someone to be injured in an elephant attack before taking action. The forest department should also look into the issue, as improving basic infrastructure in vulnerable areas can help prevent negative human-elephant interactions,” a resident said.
R Ranjith, coordinator of O-Valley Makkal Iyakkam, said residents had repeatedly contacted the contractor regarding the defunct lights, but no action had been taken.
He urged the executive officer of the O-Valley panchayat to direct the contractor to inspect all areas under the panchayat and repair non-functional solar lights, particularly in locations prone to elephant movement.
“The permanent solution is to provide conventional streetlights with regular power supply in places where solar lights have been installed,” Ranjith said. When contacted, O-Valley Panchayat Executive Officer Ravikumar said he was new to the office and would look into the issue.