Of the 76 electric poles on the road next to Government Engineering College in Tirunelveli, only 11 street light poles are functioning posing threat to the counting centre and the public using this road in the night.
| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN
While preliminary arrangements are being made inside Tirunelveli Government Engineering College, the centre for counting of votes on May 4, no step has been taken by the Tirunelveli Corporation to replace the dead lights on the electric poles along the busy road next to this counting centre, leaving the northern side of this all-important place unsafe in the night.As the Government Engineering College, Tirunelveli, is the counting centre for the votes to be polled in the upcoming Assembly elections, arrangements like creation of CCTV-fitted strong rooms to keep safely the EVMs used in the election, votes counting hall, installation of metal detectors at entrances of these counting halls, installation of flood lights in and around the engineering college, deployment of armed police personnel round-the-clock, erection of watch towers etc. are to be taken up shortly.When General Observers Hrishikesh Bhaskar Yashod and Anubha Shrivatsava visited the Government Engineering College on Monday, they were explained about the arrangements to be put in place for smooth counting of votes. And, the officials left the spot satisfactorily after reviewing the arrangements.However, the busy road adjoining the counting centre connecting the traffic island near Government Engineering College and Reddiyarpatti gets enveloped by utter darkness in the night as almost all street lights on this stretch are now ‘dead’.Of the 76 street light poles on the 1.50 km-long road between this traffic island and the starting point of Reddiyarpatti village, all being maintained by a private contractor identified by the Tirunelveli Corporation, lights are glowing only in 11 poles in the night leaving the remaining 65 lights ‘dead’. Particularly, the lights on all 21 street light poles on this stretch between the traffic island and the eastern side compound wall of Government Engineering College are now defunct to leave this region under utter darkness in the night and hence unsafe. Anyone, using the darkness, can enter the counting centre from the northern side.“Anti-social activities of all sorts are happening along this road in the night as there is no light. Consuming liquor while parking the cars on the roadside, drinking while leisurely sitting in the open space on the eastern side of Government Engineering College, smoking of narcotic substances etc. are so prevalent on this road after dusk. Hence, this road is unsafe for women bike riders in the night. Since the Government Engineering College being the counting centre, the officials should ensure replacing of dead lights with new powerful LED lights immediately,” said advocate Arasu Amalraj of MDMK, a resident of GEM Colony on this road.The ongoing underground drainage work along this road further makes this stretch unsafe for the road-users, especially the bike-riders.“As the trench is being dug along this road for laying pipes for the underground drainage work, the vehicles including bikes, buses and the lorries have to carefully share one side of this road. When the driver of a stone-laden lorry recklessly drove his vehicle along this road a month ago, a bike rider was crushed to death on the spot. The prime reason behind this mishap was the absence of street lights along this road. The dreaded condition still continues despite repeated complaints from the public,” said X. T. Joseph Anand of Chellathaai Nagar, a technocrat with ISRO’s Propulsion Research Complex, Mahendragiri, who uses this road everyday.Corporation Commissioner Monika Rana said the officials concerned would be immediately alerted to set things right. Published - March 24, 2026 06:27 pm IST
