Streetlight failures leave parts of Visakhapatnam in darkness
Several neighbourhoods in the city are witnessing prolonged darkness at night as streetlights remain non-functional, triggering concerns over public safety. Corporators have blamed poor maintenance and lack of accountability by the contractor.
“The problem has been brought to the notice of officials several times, but there is no visible improvement,” a corporator said, adding that residents were increasingly worried about safety after sunset.
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) maintains around 1.18 lakh streetlights through an outsourced contractor. While the agreement mandates deployment of a helper and a technician in every ward and night patrol teams to identify faults, corporators allege that the contractor is operating with inadequate staff.
“As per the contract, complaints must be resolved within 48 hours. In reality, lights remain defunct for days,” another corporator said. “Even basic monitoring at night is not being done.”
Officials have issued notices to the contractor for failing to meet contractual obligations. However, corporators claim these have had little effect. “Issuing notices alone is not enough. There has to be strict action,” a Standing Committee member remarked during a recent meeting.
The situation worsened after GVMC temporarily withheld bill payments due to non-compliance. The contractor, in turn, reportedly informed officials that maintenance work would not continue until payments were cleared. “This has pushed the problem to a breaking point,” an official acknowledged.
Areas such as Nakkavanipalem, Venkojipalem, Seethammadhara North Extension, Shivajipalem, and Abid Nagar are among the worst affected. “Entire stretches are dark at night. It feels unsafe even to walk,” said a resident of Seethammadhara.
Citizens have urged the GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg and the Mayor Peela Srinivas Rao to intervene immediately. “Streetlights are a basic civic need. The issue must be resolved without further delay,” residents said.