Darkness looms on 42-km ORR due to lack of streetlights

The crime and accident rate on the 42-km Outer Ring Road (ORR), which has been developed to ease traffic flow, is on the rise, the City Police claim that lack of maintenance of streetlights is resulting in untoward incidents and have approached the authorities concerned to provide adequate lights.

The Police department has written a letter to the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) to install and maintain streetlights on the stretch. However, MUDA, which has developed the road, has handed over a part of the ORR to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), recently.

Many cases of accidents and criminal activities, such as robbery, is being reported on the stretch regularly. A few days back, a motorist died on the spot in a road accident reported during the night. Due to darkness, the local people face severe difficulty to clear the accident spot. Similarly, the stretch is witnessing other criminal activities.

The Police Inspectors of Siddhartha Nagar Traffic, V V Puram Traffic and KR Traffic divisions, have written to MUDA and CESC to fix the lights. The ORR connects to the National Highways at six places. Besides, several roads are connected to ORR. Though high mast lights are in place at the connecting points, many are not functioning. Siddhartha Nagar Traffic Police Inspector N Muniyappa said, "Due to lack of street lights, cases of the accident are on the rise. The department has written to MUDA Commissioner to provide adequate facilities on the stretch."

He said, "The Police department has installed traffic signal lights at several circles to avoid accidents. As there is no provision for road humps, barricades are in place to break the speed of vehicles."

Mahesh, a resident of Belavatta village, who regularly commutes on the road to reach his village from Mysuru, said that though there are street lights across the street, a majority of them remain switched off after 8 pm.

The people fear to move after 10 pm on the road. Due to lack of street lights, crime rates have increased. "I take an alternative road via KRS Road and Columbia Asia Circle to reach the village during late nights. Despite repeated requests to the authorities concerned, nothing has happened," he said.

MUDA Commissioner P S Kantaraju said, "NHAI authorities have asked the local bodies to maintain the street lights. The ORR comes under the purview of local bodies like Zilla Panchayat and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC). NHAI authorities claim that due to policy matters, the facilities should be provided and maintained by the local bodies and not by the NHAI," said Kantaraju.

The commissioner said that the local body authorities held a meeting in this connection, but, due to the Assembly election model code of conduct, the process is being delayed.