Jamshedpur: Stay focussed and alert while commuting at night on Dimna Road in Mango, the gateway to the steel city from NH-33.

Defunct streetlights and high-mast lamps on stretches of the 3.5km road, which connects Dimna Chowk with the national highway, poses a major threat to pedestrians and motorists after sunset.

"Accidents are common on this road because of movement of trucks and trailers. Speeding lorries knocking down two-wheelers at night is common. Walking, especially in areas where there are no glowing streetlights, is very risky. Mango Notified Area Committee (MNAC), the local civic body, has taken no steps to repair or replace the defunct lights," said B.N. Sahay, a retired government employee and a resident of Uday Tower on Dimna Road.

A resident of Jagdeo Palace, an apartment complex near Blue Bells School on Dimna Road, said a high-mast lamp that was installed in their neighbourhood in April last year worked properly only for four months.

Set up by the civic body for the convenience of pedestrians and shops in the area, the lamp hasn't been working since September 2017.

Dimna Road, one of the busiest in the city, sees a daily traffic of over 50,000 vehicles including cars, bikes, auto-rickshaws and trucks. Over 100 housing apartments have come up on both sides of this artery that also hosts shops, offices and showrooms.

"Dimna Road is a corridor for heavy vehicles. Mishaps, be it minor or major, are reported almost every day on the 3.5km stretch. Although the MNAC had installed LEDs at a few places a couple of years ago, none is working anymore. The civic body should take up this issue urgently as pedestrians are worst hit," said S.N. Ojha, a medical representative who stays at Jagdeo Palace.

MNAC special officer Rajendra Prasad Gupta said they were aware of the problem. "New LEDs will soon replace the defunct ones," he added.