The Times of India                29.10.2013

Kerala State Urban Development Project to fix 400 defunct sodium lamps in corporation limit

KOZHIKODE: The office of Kerala State Urban Development Project (KSUDP), attached to Kozhikode city corporation has decided to carry out repair of the sodium lamps installed in various parts of the city under the KSUDP scheme.

A decision in this regard was taken after a joint inspection conducted by officials of KSUDP and the engineering wing of the corporation to know the status of the 400 sodium lamps installed in the city.

It was decided to carry out a joint-inspection after people in the corporation limit registered complaints with the corporation about the non-functioning sodium lamps.

Delay on the part of KSUDP officials in officially handing over the lights to the corporation is learnt to be the reason why the lights remained defunct. Under the city development initiative of the corporation, KSUDP had installed a total of 400 sodium vapour lamps.

Lamps were installed in the stretch from Thondayadu to Medical college Junction, Mini bypass, Mavoor Road and the stretch from Arayidathupalam to Eranhipalam at an estimated cost of more than Rs 50 lakh. KSUDP had also erected sodium lamps at Mananchira and Pottammel Junction in 2009. According to KSUDP officials, almost all of the 400 sodium vapour lamps are currently defunct. Disruption in power supply owing to damaged cables is learnt to be the reason why the lamps have remained non-operational.

Project manager of KSUDP Somasekhara Kaimal said he has already dispatched a letter to the contractors who installed the sodium lamps, asking them to carry out the repair works which falls under their purview.

"Many of the lights had become non-functional owing to disruption of power supply in the cables which connects the lamps. We are in the process of making the streetlights functional by repairing lamps which need minor works. The rest will be carried out with help from the corporation," he said.