COIMBATORE: Citing crime and accidents, the residents of Sirumugai have demanded the installation of a high-mast light at Neelipalayam junction on the Mettupalayam-Sirumugai road. They have been running from pillar to post meeting officials at two different local bodies but to no avail.
The residents alleged the local body and the State Highways Department refuse to take responsibility and point fingers at each other. An officer even claimed it is not financially viable for local bodies to pay for the electricity charges of high-mast lights.
"We sent a petition to the State Highways Department in July 2025, asking to install a high-mast light at the junction for public safety and for the benefit of motorists. However, the department dismissed the demand and said in writing it is not possible to install the light and asked to approach the Sirumugai Town Panchayat. When we contacted it, they refused to accept the call and said the junction falls under the jurisdiction of the Bellepalayam Village Panchayat. They asked us to call either the State highways department or the village panchayat," said S Basha, a social activist from Mettupalayam.
Almost five months have passed, no action has been taken on our petition, and the junction is in the same situation, posing a threat to the public, he added.
A high-mast light is necessary as the junction witnesses high vehicle movement even at night., "It was a junction where four roads meet: those from Neelipalayam, Bellepalayam, Annur and Mettupalayam. Except for the main road (Sirumugai-Mettupalayam road), two other roads deviating from the junction are in a low-lying area. At night, the commuters face difficulties. Also, the unavailability of light encourages crime. The authorities should take necessary action," he demanded.
When asked, an officer from the BDO rank at the Karamadai Block said usually local bodies (village and town panchayats) do not take steps to install high-mast lights as they have high electricity consumption.
The locality is under the jurisdiction of the aforementioned block.
"More than the installation, the recurring expenditure on the light is a major problem. We can install the light by sourcing funds through a CSR activity. However, the local body cannot manage the expenditure on electricity consumption for that. Hence, they usually avoid such efforts. Similarly, the Bellepalayam Village Panchayat runs only with its tax revenue. We can see alternative measures to install lights like normal LED lights," the officer said.