Hajin: Dozens of solar street lights installed by authorities in Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have turned defunct barely two months after their installation causing inconvenience to locals.
According to the locals, the lights have developed faults and are not working while the repeated pleas to the Municipal Committee are getting no response.
The locals said that due to non-functionality of most street lights hampers smooth movement of inhabitants of Hajin during evening hours and causes immense problems to them.
Sixty solar lights sanctioned by the district administration Bandipora were installed by the local municipal authorities at the main market of Hajin and adjacent streets amid much publicity.
But most of the streetlights have turned defunct barely two months after they were installed leaving locals high and dry, they said.
Locals complained that the break down of the lights had chased all the kore inconvenience at a time when the whole valley was reeling under frequent winter power outages.
According to Chairman Municipal Committee Hajin, Irshad Ahmad, they were responsible only for supervising the installation work.
Lights were from DC’s quota who had directed SDM to install them in Hajin, all the men and machinery was from them and we were only supervising. We have just submitted the sites plan where lights can be installed. He said
Irshad said the lights are under a five year warranty and toll-free number is inscribed on every light in case it requires repairs.
Contractor of the installation agency, Muzafar Ahmad told Kashmir Reader that they will repair the defunct lights within two days.

GOWHAR MAQBOOL