Prayagraj: An appeal by three schoolchildren from Chak Ahmadipur village in Kaushambi district on Monday, seeking streetlights from district magistrate, yielded results within 12 hours, with authorities installing at least four lights in the village on Tuesday.The children — Ashwani, Nikhil and Shivanshi, aged between nine and 10 — are students of Classes IV and V. On Monday, they appealed to district magistrate through social media, saying they were afraid to venture out after dark because the village lanes had no streetlights.In a video that went viral, the children were seen with folded hands, saying, “Hamare gaon mein ek bhi khambe par streetlight nahin hai. Hum logon ko andhere mein dar lagta hai” (There are no streetlights on any pole in our village. We are afraid of the dark).Ashwani, a Class IV student, explained that the village is surrounded by fields and is also home to wild animals, making it difficult for residents, especially children, to step outside at night.After learning about the appeal, district magistrate directed panchayati raj officer and block development officer to inspect the village and arrange for the immediate installation of streetlights.After the lights were installed, the children thanked district magistrate and chief minister Yogi Adityanath for addressing their grievance.A senior official told TOI that the village has a population of around 1,000 and has also been selected under the Adarsh Gaon (ideal village) scheme. “At least 30 solar streetlights have been proposed for the village. The work will be carried out after the department concerned releases the funds,” the official said.The district administration also said it would ensure proper lighting arrangements in all villages of Kaushambi district.
