And soon the darkness: Blame it on the monkeys
Inoperative streetlights leading to Daman-e-Koh along a 9km hilly stretch with require urgent CDA attention
PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
In a somewhat hilarious response to public complaints, on dysfunctional lights along the Margalla Hills road, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has held monkeys responsible and said another two-three months were required to resolve the issue.
The majority of the streetlights along the city’s most visited tourist spot, Daman-e-Koh, are non-functional, posing serious threat to the safety of the visitors and local residents.
More than half of the lights along a 9km hilly stretch with numerous hazardous curves require the urgent attention of CDA to safety of travellers both tourists and local people.
An official of CDA at the Services and Maintenance Department requesting anonymity said: “Monkeys are responsible for non-functioning of the lights. They break the top of the lights where bulbs are inserted. The flexible mode of the lights entice them to play with, thus they get damaged.”
The official admitted his department had received a number of public complaints on the issue but paucity of funds was a hurdle to resolve it.
He also had a justified excuse for shortage of maintenance staff and vehicles to address day-to-day complaints. The CDA chairman, he said, has recently approved replacing the damaged lights with new ones, but it would take another two to three months before the problem was fixed, as it involves lengthy departmental procedures.
Imran Khattak, a visitor on a motorbike, said that bikers were more prone to accidents as automobile drivers coming from opposite side use high beams, creating zero visibility for two wheelers due to darkness on the route.
“I had a narrow escape in a sudden encounter with a drove of pigs that suddenly appeared from inside the jungle last Sunday night near Tilhar village’s entrance,” said a visitor Raja Waqar who had come with his family. “I was lucky enough to control my vehicle” he added. He also urged for early restoration of the out of order lights for public safety.
A Chinese national Qing Ping Qin at Monal Restaurant talking to this scribe said, he was inspired by the beauty of the area and was a frequent visitor. “Travelling at night with the family on a dark road was a matter of concern which must be taken up seriously,” he remarked.
The chief administrator of Monal Restaurant expressing his dismay of the situation said, their business activities start during night and almost 500 tourists daily enjoy food at their facility. “The mismanagement of affairs by CDA could affect the business of the areas’ picnic spots where majority of the tourists come at night for star gazing.in summer “ he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 1st, 2017.
In a somewhat hilarious response to public complaints, on dysfunctional lights along the Margalla Hills road, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has held monkeys responsible and said another two-three months were required to resolve the issue.
The majority of the streetlights along the city’s most visited tourist spot, Daman-e-Koh, are non-functional, posing serious threat to the safety of the visitors and local residents.
More than half of the lights along a 9km hilly stretch with numerous hazardous curves require the urgent attention of CDA to safety of travellers both tourists and local people.
An official of CDA at the Services and Maintenance Department requesting anonymity said: “Monkeys are responsible for non-functioning of the lights. They break the top of the lights where bulbs are inserted. The flexible mode of the lights entice them to play with, thus they get damaged.”
The official admitted his department had received a number of public complaints on the issue but paucity of funds was a hurdle to resolve it.
He also had a justified excuse for shortage of maintenance staff and vehicles to address day-to-day complaints. The CDA chairman, he said, has recently approved replacing the damaged lights with new ones, but it would take another two to three months before the problem was fixed, as it involves lengthy departmental procedures.
Imran Khattak, a visitor on a motorbike, said that bikers were more prone to accidents as automobile drivers coming from opposite side use high beams, creating zero visibility for two wheelers due to darkness on the route.
“I had a narrow escape in a sudden encounter with a drove of pigs that suddenly appeared from inside the jungle last Sunday night near Tilhar village’s entrance,” said a visitor Raja Waqar who had come with his family. “I was lucky enough to control my vehicle” he added. He also urged for early restoration of the out of order lights for public safety.
A Chinese national Qing Ping Qin at Monal Restaurant talking to this scribe said, he was inspired by the beauty of the area and was a frequent visitor. “Travelling at night with the family on a dark road was a matter of concern which must be taken up seriously,” he remarked.
The chief administrator of Monal Restaurant expressing his dismay of the situation said, their business activities start during night and almost 500 tourists daily enjoy food at their facility. “The mismanagement of affairs by CDA could affect the business of the areas’ picnic spots where majority of the tourists come at night for star gazing.in summer “ he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 1st, 2017.