Coimbatore Corporation has an area of 257.04 sq km; There are 18 thousand, 902 streets. In this, 44 thousand, 519 streetlights in 40 wards belonging to the areas attached to the corporation are being maintained under the maintenance program with private participation, and 52 thousand, 715 streetlights in 60 wards under the old corporation are being maintained by private companies.
Due to the increase in population, changing of ward boundaries and construction of new residences, additional street lights have been forced to be installed at various places. As the newly formed streets are dark, women are afraid to walk at night; Women who go to work find it unsafe to return home. They are afraid of robberies taking advantage of the darkness. Councilors, zonal committee leaders and standing committee leaders spoke about this in the parliamentary meetings and urged to speed up the process of setting up street lights.
In this regard, the Coimbatore Corporation brought it to the notice of the Tamil Nadu Government. At that time, the Office of the Managing Director of Municipalities advised to install one street lamp at a distance of 30 meters. Accordingly, the Corporation listed where streetlights should be installed in the area under the Corporation’s boundaries and sent a proposal to the Government.
Following this, Rs 19.34 crore has been allocated in the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Development Fund, administrative approval has been given and a government order has been issued.
Permission has been given to one package to construct 1,451 street lights and another package to construct 6,250 street lights. Corporation officials said that a tender will be requested soon and new LED lights will be installed.
‘It will be completed within three months’
Corporation officials said, ‘The government has given administrative permission to install new LED lights. ‘Tender’ will be called for within 15 days. The job is offered in two ‘packages’. The installation of LED lights will be completed soon. It will take a few days to plant poles, wire and install lights at the new locations. Bender is finalized and the street lights are planned to be installed within three months from the date of issue of order letter.