BHUBANESWAR: With a focus on smart and renewable energy alternatives, the Centre is all set to help Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to undertake solar street lighting projects on a large scale in the Capital city. As many as 1,000 solar lights will soon be installed on the streets of the Capital as part of the initiative being pushed by Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi. The cost of the installation will be borne by the Centre.
Taking to social media, Sarangi said the solar lights will be installed with the help of Union Ministry of Power at an investment of Rs 2.27 crore in her Parliamentary constituency. Stating that the project will be monitored by people, she urged all stakeholders to work together.
Meanwhile, steps have already been taken to ensure energy-efficient street lighting in the Capital city with the use of LED lights under the Smart City initiative. The City, at present, has around 50,000 single street lights and 10,000 median poles lit by LED lights. Of these, the BMC manages 15,000 poles while the rest is managed by the Central Electricity Supply Utility.
The LED street lights not only help in providing adequate illumination but have also proven cost-effective as they consume less power than sodium vapour lights, said an official of the Energy Department. He said solar lights will revolutionise the street illumination facility in the City.