FPJ Impact: BMC Begins Repairing Defunct Street Lights On Mumbai's Eastern Freeway After Media Report

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally woken up on the issue of defunct street lights on the Eastern Freeway. "The BEST Undertaking has found in its visit that there is fault in at 12 locations. The repairs will be conducted in the next two to four days. We will ensure the street lights under the BEST jurisdiction are fully functioning," an official from BMC's mechanical and electrical department told the FPJ on Friday.

On Thursday, following the report by this newspaper highlighting ordeal faced by lakhs motorists using the Eastern Freeway, especially in the monsoon due to blackouts at several sections, the BMC had told the concerned officials from Adani Electricity and BEST Undertaking to visit the site at night and find out street lights on which sections are not operational and the cause.

"The BEST's power section official reported back that fault is found at some 12 locations and immediate repairs will be carried, however, we are yet to hear back from Adani Electricity," the civic officials added.

On the 16.8 km long Eastern Freeway, which connects south Mumbai from P D'mello Road to eastern suburbs at Ghatkopar Mankhurd link road, the section upto Panjarpol falls under the BEST Undertaking and beyond that towards Ghatkopar falls under the Adani Electricity.

The Eastern Freeway was constructed by the MMRDA and fully handed over to the BMC for operations and management in 2015.

However, at the road, which prefered by lakhs of Mumbaikars to reach the eastern suburbs from South Mumbai, BMC had been failing to provide basic facilities like street lights. The motorists find driving more risking as alongwith non functioning street lights, there are two-wheeler illegally plying on the freeway, increasing the chances of road accidents.