KOCHI: The decorative street lights installed about ten years ago as part of the Fort Kochi beautification project by the Kochi Heritage Zone Conservation Society are now lying idle. The lights designed like ‘Ranthals’ were installed at Kamalakadavu, Tower road, Church road, Beach road, Parade road and Vasco Da Gamma Square. Now, most of them are defunct. “There are about 40 lights, but only 5-6 are in working condition. These are not maintained properly. The lights were functional only for a few days after the installation,” said Fort Kochi Councillor Antony Kureethara. The heritage society officials said the lights were installed by the Public Works Department in 2000 as part of the beautification of Fort Kochi. “The maintenance of the street lights were not assigned to us. It is the duty of the Corporation to take up the issue and maintain the lights,” said Kochi Heritage Zone Conservation society officials. “New bulbs and cables worth Rs 50,000 were installed about tweo years ago. There were plans to include maintenance of these heritage lights in to the new revitalisation project of Fort Kochi. The new government should take the initiative,” they added. “The committee of the Kochi heritage zone conservation society is yet to get approval from the government. Power supply to these lines are not working now. There was a suggestion for installing separate meter for these decorative street lights,” they pointed out. “The decorative lights are metered separately. According to the Electricity Act-2003, streetlights should be metered. The problem can be solved if these decorative streetlights are included under the act. Corporation or the heritage society should take the initiative for development of theses lights,” said Executive Engineer of Mattanchery division Christy K Abraham.
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