At least 10 streetlights along a 2km stretch in Vengadamangalam near Medavakkam have remained non-functional for nearly two years, leaving more than 300 families and four private schools to navigate dark roads after sunset. Residents say the prolonged outage has increased safety risks for pedestrians, motorists, women, children and people returning home late.
The poorly lit stretch of the Medavakkam-Mambakkam Road is also used by more than 50 untethered domestic cattle that rest on the road at night, according to residents. The combination of darkness and animals has made the route particularly hazardous for two-wheeler users.
A recent incident highlighted the danger. S Krishnan and his eight-year-old son were travelling back to Vengadamangalam from Tambaram when a cow crossed the road. Krishnan was unable to see the animal in the darkness and braked suddenly, causing his motorcycle to skid. Both escaped with minor injuries. Residents said similar risks were faced regularly on the stretch.
Residents told the Times of India that they had repeatedly brought the non-functional lights to the attention of panchayat officials but had not seen lasting action. Ibrahim Ahmed, a long-time resident, said several individual switches used to operate the streetlights were also faulty. He said residents had attempted to contact the Chengalpattu district collector but received no response.
The outage has also exposed the administrative gap affecting the area. Vengadamangalam remains under the St Thomas Mount Panchayat Union, although it is only a few kilometres from Tambaram Corporation. Residents said the state government had announced plans over several years to merge Medavakkam, Vengadamangalam, Sittalapakkam and neighbouring areas with Tambaram Corporation.
M Kathiravan, another resident, said the proposed merger should be carried out at the earliest because it could help address several civic problems in the locality. The issue therefore involves both a basic maintenance failure and uncertainty over which urban institution is responsible for delivering and maintaining local infrastructure.
The absence of functioning streetlights has consequences beyond visibility. It affects how residents use public roads, how schools and households manage evening movement, and how motorists respond to hazards that cannot be seen in time. In this case, residents’ accounts link the outage directly to a motorcycle accident and to continuing concerns about night travel.
Despite several attempts, St Thomas Mount block development officers were unavailable for comment on the streetlight failures, the faulty switches, the residents’ complaints or the proposed administrative merger. No repair timeline or official implementation schedule was provided in the report.
