KOCHI: What scares Siju David, the recipient of a bravery award for rescuing his friend from the dark belly of Guna cave in 2006, the most is his long commute home. Through National Highway 996A — the Container Road. “There are no streetlights,” Siju, a Manjummel resident, told TNIE.
The nearly 17-km-long road, a busy corridor for container trucks travelling to and from the Vallarpadam terminal, remains unlit despite over 1,100 streetlight poles being installed there. Accidents on the stretch are frequent — and often fatal. Siju himself was hospitalised for two weeks after a crash two years ago. “A dog ran onto the road. Riding a bike in pitch darkness, I didn’t see it in time,” he said.
“Deaths are becoming routine here,” said Shaison Albert, vice-president of Mulavukad panchayat. “Just last month, a 28-year-old, Ebby Solomon, lost his life. In the same month alone, there were at least two or three fatal accidents.”
“These are only the reported ones,” added commuter Krishnakumar M. “The road is completely dark after sundown on many stretches.”
The absence of lighting has triggered dangers beyond road accidents. “Many people have started dumping waste illegally along the road and onto the service roads,” said Cheranalloor panchayat president Lissy Varyath.
Shaiju Biju, ward member of Moolampilly East, concurred. “During wee hours, trucks come here to dump sewage waste into the backwaters. Sometimes, onto the adjacent vacant patches. Motorists and catering companies too are often seen dumping waste,” she said.
The waste has led to a surge in stray dogs, further worsening safety concerns. In 2023, a stray dog was responsible for the death of 22-year-old Salton Raiton.
“He swerved to avoid the dog, fell, and was run over by a container truck coming behind,” recalled Dasan, a commuter.
There have also been instances of vehicles crashing into medians or knocking down pedestrians attempting to cross the accident-prone road, Lissy said.
Vimal T R, a Vypeen resident, said the situation is particularly severe on the road’s 11 bridges. “They have no side exits, trapping strays that wander in search of food,” he said.
For many, especially women commuters, the road has become a no-go zone.
“It’s deserted, poorly lit, and unsafe. If something happens, help is far away,” said Devika Menon, who now avoids the stretch altogether. Residents also allege that criminal and immoral activities thrive under the cover of darkness.
Ironically, the streetlights were installed as early as April last year as part of a Rs 100-crore road overhaul project, said Mulavukad panchayat president Aqlin Loppez. “The project was sanctioned after the road was labelled accident-prone. Nearly 90% of the work is complete — except powering the lights,” she said.
The delay, Shaison said, stems from a dispute between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) over transformer installations.
“Initially, two transformers were planned at a cost of Rs 9 lakh each. Now, KSEB wants four, which costs around Rs 25 lakh each, pushing the total beyond Rs 1 crore. Approval delays from NHAI saw KSEB withholding power,” he said.
Though TNIE reached out to KSEB, the officer concerned was unavailable for comment at the time of writing this piece.
Last week, representatives from local panchayats met Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, seeking urgent intervention to expedite electrification. Hibi is expected to meet the district collector on Thursday.