Day and night, Thrikkakara's streetlights burn bright; timer quality flagged

Ernakulam: Residents of Thrikkakara and Kakkanad are pointing out a bizarre sight on their daily commutes: street lights burning bright under the midday sun. This widespread energy wastage is the result of malfunctioning automatic timers, a system co-funded by the Thrikkakara Municipality and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to manage public lighting efficiently. Instead, the faulty devices have flipped the natural cycle on its head, leaving several stretches illuminated around the clock.

The automatic timers were originally installed to optimise energy consumption, designed to switch the street lights on at dusk and turn them off at sunrise. Out of approximately 3,000 street lights in the municipality, nearly half are operated using these timers. However, local residents complain that many of these devices began failing within just a few days of installation, exposing severe quality-control issues.

Faulty timers and rising power bills
Instead of conserving energy, the malfunctioning timers are now causing immense power wastage. In some areas, the lights do not turn on until late at night, while in others, they remain active well into the afternoon or do not shut off at all. This has forced local residents and municipal councillors to physically intervene and manually turn off the switches during the day.

Allegations of poor quality and lack of maintenance
Locals have alleged that the contractors hired by KSEB installed substandard, low-quality timers, which led to their rapid deterioration. While the contracting agencies were highly proactive in carrying out maintenance during the initial phase, they have now completely abandoned their responsibilities. If the Thrikkakara Municipality and KSEB do not step in immediately to rectify the situation, the local body will face massive financial losses due to inflated electricity bills caused by this persistent negligence.