Most solar street lights on the blink for lack of maintenance

The majority of 150 solar street lights installed in Chandpur municipal area three years back have become malfunctioning to the inconvenience of the townspeople whom these were meant for.

A fist-class category municipality having 15 wards with a population of about six lakh,

Chandpur municipality is a 130-year-old township founded in 1896.

The solar street lights were installed in the backward and under-developed wards of the municipality where there were no street lights of Power Development Board.

To ensure public safety and enhance urban aesthetics, the solar street lights were installed at the strategically important places of the town a cost of Tk 20 million under the government's Climate Project Trust Fund.

At first, the solar street lights gave much pleasure and brought smiles to the town dwellers. They thought they would no longer have to face any kind of inconveniences in the evening or at night.

But conversely it was observed that the solar lights in most places of the town viz -Puranbazar, Khalishadhuli area , Baburhat College and adjacent neighbourhoods went out of order one by one barely within two years.

As a result, thousands of town dwellers within Chandpur Municipality have been facing immense suffering for long at the time of movement from one place to another in the dark of night.

Their travelling becomes more troublesome and tedious specially during rainy and stormy nights.

Talking to the FE, some officials concerned of the municipality said most of the solar street lights have gone out of order due to lack of proper repair and maintenance. The batteries and panels of many solar lights are faulty, they added.

Contacted, Chandpur Municipality's Executive Engineer Sujit Barua told the FE he has joined the office recently and this is why he is not well aware of the problem. But he will look into the matter very shortly, the engineer assured.

The municipality immediate past Executive Engineer M Shamsuddoha (now retired) could not be reached despite repeated calls over the cell phone. However, sub-assistant engineers Heron Mia and Dilip Kr Dey said they will take

coordinated steps to repair or fix the out-of-order solar street lights for the convenience of the town dwellers.

"But at present, we can't do anything. We have to wait until the mayor election is held and the next mayor takes over. Till then all must wait, said one of them.

It came to notice that some solar street lights were installed under big trees and so they do not get enough sun-shine at daytime and that's why they give dim lights at night.

A few solar street lights were installed adjacent to the residences of the rich families which seems unnecessary too.

Contacted, municipality administrator Mohammad Ershaduddin said he is not well aware of the matter.

Talking to the FE, Mohsin Majumder Lytton, a resident of ward No-14, said the people of this ward are deprived of many basic amenities including solar lights.

He added most of the solar street lights in the area are out of order for long; so people have been enduring problems at night, especially while moving emergency patients. Often accidents take place at night. He alleges that he had informed the municipal authorities about the defective solar lights many months ago but to no effect.

He further said, "We pay taxes in time but we are deprived of getting civic amenities including solar lights. It is very regrettable and unfortunate indeed."

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