Thanks to the government's efforts in collaboration with various agencies, the deadline has been extended to six months, Shareef said.
Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works Adam Shareef said that councils have been given six months to complete the maintenance and upgrading of streetlights on the islands to meet safety standards.
During the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected members of the Male' City Council, Minister Shareef highlighted that the biggest challenge faced last month was the imminent threat of power cuts to streetlights.
Fenaka Corporation issued the order after an inspection revealed that streetlights on 144 islands did not meet safety standards.
Thanks to the government's efforts in collaboration with various agencies, the deadline has been extended to six months, Shareef said.
“God willing, we are working with Fenaka, the Utility Regulation Authority (URA), and the Ministry of Finance to formulate a plan within three to six months and find a solution to the problem of power outages from streetlights on the islands,” he said.
ELCBs must be installed in streetlights to ensure public safety. The deadline has been extended twice in the past to give councils more time to ensure safety and repair streetlights.
An ELCB is a safety device used in electrical installations to prevent electric shock.
An inspection by Fenaka revealed that many streetlights on the islands are unsafe with streetlights lacking ELCBs.
The inspection followed a tragic incident in which an 18-year-old was electrocuted to death after coming into contact with a puddle of water that had been electrified through a street lamp post, also injuring an 8-year-old.
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