Mumbai: No lights in Aarey, thanks to thieves

A damaged bulb on a lamp post (right) a staffer shows damaged lights

While Aarey Milk Colony authorities have started repairing nonfunctional streetlights on internal roads passing through forest patches to prevent incidents of human-animal conflict, it has come to light that some anti-social elements are stealing copper wires and damaging the lights. Aarey Milk Colony, spread across 16 square kilometres, has 28 tribal hamlets, slum pockets and cattle farms along with a good forest patch, and a population of over 50,000 people.

A staffer from the CEO's office fixes a streetlamp in Aarey Milk Colony

In August this year, after a gap of over three years, human-animal conflict incidents started in Aarey. Following which the Maharashtra forest department directed the Aarey Milk Colony chief executive officer's office to ensure that non-functional street lights in the area are repaired at the earliest. The Aarey CEO's office started the repair work immediately so that locals would see their surroundings clearly even in the night when they take internal roads. However, it is being alleged that some anti-social elements and drug addicts are stealing the copper wire that supplies electricity to the street lights.

"Time and again, local residents and people staying in tribal hamlets have been raising this issue as many of the people staying in the area and in 28 tribal hamlets have to walk through dark stretches of road after sunset. Post conflict, street lights at many places were fixed, but the lights have stopped working again because drug addicts have stolen the copper wire that supplies power to the lamp post.

With no lights on the road, it becomes difficult to see what lies ahead, thus increasing chances of human-animal conflict. The authorities should take strict action against those who are responsible for the theft," said Rikita Pai, a local.