Cyclone Tauktae has left Mumbai not only with uprooted trees, but with 2,426 defunct streetlamps. This is merely 1.70% of the total streetlamps in Mumbai’s island city and suburbs. However, complaints made pertaining to the issue flooded the social media accounts of BrihanMumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) and Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML). Currently, the two power distributors are working towards repairing the faults and replacing these streetlamps.
According to sources in the BEST undertaking, which has 42,045 streetlamps attached to 34,470 poles, they received complaints of defunct 2,300 streetlamps. “Of these, we have already attended to 1,300 streetlamps. We aim to complete the remaining work by this weekend,” said a BEST official on the condition of anonymity. BEST is spending Rs 45 lakh on the repairs of streetlamps in the Colaba-Sion/Mahim belt of island city.
Then, there are also streetlamp poles that have been uprooted, which need attention too. There are 83 poles that are completely damaged and 38 poles that are partly damaged mainly after it fell or trees fell on it. Tese will be replaced within 4 weeks. “The maintenance work is being carried out on priority,” said Manoj Varhade, spokesperson, BEST.
AEML has nearly 1 lakh streetlamps that it maintains in the western and eastern suburbs -- Bandra to Bhayander and Chunabhatti to Mankhurd stretches. AEML spokesperson said, “Total 126 streetlight poles were damaged and were not functioning due to the cyclone and subsequent uprooting.” They claim that the repair work has already begun. Out of the 126 streetlight poles, they have already replaced 62.
Many areas are left in darkness due to the damaged streetlights. Sources said that there has been delay in some areas, mainly due to the clearing of collapsed trees by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). There are 16 such pending streetlight poles and 48 pending cases will be rectified by May 26.
