12 Kolkata: Power utility CESC has informed Kolkata Traffic Police and KMC that it had received 275 applications to remove lamp posts from multiple south Kolkata neighbourhoods to make roads wider. Out of these, 184 were found to be suitable for removal, said CESC officials, adding that the estimated cost and plan of work had been submitted to KMC.
Kolkata Police has now proposed on-road site inspections of these spots by all three agencies so that work can begin. The matter was raised in the recent district road safety committee meeting.
In Nov last year, cops had approached KMC with a request to change the position of street lights, especially in narrower but busy thoroughfares in the added areas. Among the roads identified — most in the added areas of Behala, Haridevpur, Golf Green and Tollygunge — were Golf Club Road, Raja Rammohan Roy Road, MG Road, Biren Roy Road (South), Motilal Gupta Road, and Buroshibtala Road. Cops cited multiple accidents on these streets that could have been avoided if the road did not get blocked, including a fatal one near Garia a few days ago.
"KMC has assured us that the work will be completed soon," said a traffic cop. "It has been agreed that CESC will move the posts. We will install the bulbs once the new posts are set up," said a KMC official.
To explain their request, cops cited the example of the Behala Chowrasta crossing on the Biren Roy Road side, where the relocation of two street lights earlier this year helped in greater use of road space. "This lamp post was located barely 200 metres from the Behala Chowrasta metro station and right next to the auto stand. A simple relocation saw easier traffic flow," explained the ACP.
TOI on Tuesday came across multiple such lamp posts on Raja Rammohan Road and MG Road at Haridevpur. According to traffic police, certain street lights were set up several years ago on these stretches, mainly roads that connect the main DH Road, SP Mukherjee Road, and NS Bose Road in Behala and Tollygunge.
"Over the years, the roads here have been expanded. However, with the streetlight not being relocated to one corner, the added road space could never be used," said the ACP.
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