Residents and shopkeepers of Kupwara town are angry over the failure of authorities to maintain street lights, demanding these be made operational as the Ramadan month of fasting late night prayers begins.
The residents said street lights and tower lights installedin the town have been dysfunctional for months now making moving around thefrontier town difficult after dark.
“Some lights installed along the road leading to DeputyCommissioner’s office are functional, rest of the lights in town are completelydysfunctional since months now,” said Irfan Ahmad, a resident.
“The month of Ramadan is starting in a day and peopleusually stay out till late for prayers, but here in Kupwara town the streetlights are non-functional at every nook and corner forcing people stay indoorsas darkness falls,” lamented Tawheed Ahmad, another resident.
He said that the shopkeepers shut early because there is nostreet light functional in the town with stray dogs roaming its.
“The roads wear a deserted look resulting in people avoidingto travel on this road in evening.”
Most of the streetlights along the Bypass road, High towerlights at Sub-district hospital, Bus Stand main Chowk, Haihama Chowk, Regiporabus stand, Brainwari, Jamia Masjid, Dudwan and in other ward areas of the townare lying defunct.
The residents and shopkeepers of the town appealed to theDeputy Commissioner Kupwara to address the issue as people have to move aroundthe town late hours during Ramadhan.
Assistant Executive Engineer PDD Kupwara, Iqbal Ahmad saidthat the new LED lights come with a warranty of one year.
“The lights have beeninstalled more than a year ago and the lights which are dysfunctional havecrossed the warranty limit and it is up to the higher authority when they willreplace them,” the AEE said.
Executive Officer Municipal Committee Kupwara, Farooq Ahmad,said the old defunct lights would soon be replaced with new ones.
“We have received around 100 new lights and the installationis going on in Wards of Kupwara town,” Ahmad said.