The Times of India                 03.05.2013

NMC moves to appoint new firm to maintain street lights

NMC had entered into a Rs 40 crore agreement with NM Enterprises in December 2011 for strengthening street light infrastructure, including erecting 17,500 new street light poles, with work to be completed in 14 months. The work order included replacement of highmast lights with induction lights, repair of fuse boxes, replacement of cables etc, but the firm has failed to meet the deadline.

Taking cognisance of the slow pace of work, the then civic chief Sanjeev Jaiswal had directed executive engineer (electric) Sanjay Jaiswal to initiate action and issue notice to the firm. When NMC did not receive any reply from the firm, it started the process to terminate the tender.

However, the firm approached the state government against NMC. The urban development department in Mumbai rejected the firm's plea and also justified NMC's decision to forfeit the company's bank guarantee of Rs 75 lakh.

After the UDD decision, the NMC recently completed the formality to forfeit Rs 75 lakh and also terminated the contract, confirmed a senior officer from NMC's electrical department. "Now, we have started the process to float fresh tenders," the officer said.

Sources said NMC presently has over 93,511 street lights in its jurisdiction, of which around 10,000 are continuously out of order. This has affected the illumination on many streets across the city. Most of the affected areas are along the 42-km Ring Road in the city. The cables of most electric poles are frayed and damaged, which is causing street lights to go on the blink frequently.

A resident of south Nagpur Abhay Kolarkar ridiculed the corporation's functioning. He said that it is more than nine years since motorists and residents living along Pratap Nagar Ring Road have seen all the street lights functioning properly. "However, the same civic machinery is managing street lights in Civil Lines area very well," he said.

In the past, even the traffic police have raised this issue of lack of maintenance of street lights. "People, especially motorists, have a lot of trouble finding their way through the darkness," said a senior traffic policeman. He pointed out that many important roads in Indora zone are so dark that drivers have to use high-beam, making it difficult for motorists and two-wheeler riders coming from the opposite direction.