THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an attempt to reduce power consumption and cut down the electricity bill, the Thiruvananthapuram corporation will replace sodium vapour street lights with LED lights in its 100 wards.
The first phase of the project has been completed with the installation of 20,000 LED’s street lights in various wards. The corporation officials said with complete LED connection the civic body could bring down the annual power bill to at least half of the current sum. The LED project is being carried by the corporation in association with the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). The project which was introduced two years back is being implemented in two phases. As part of the project, the corporation will introduce a total of 38,600 LED street lights.
There are many advantages of the LED over the sodium vapour lamp including low power consumption which is up to 40 - 100 watts only.
“All wards have been given equal importance with an average of 400 LED lights per ward. The second phase of the project is in progress in which remaining LED lights will be installed by KSEB. The civic body has deposited an amount of `18 crore to the KSEB for the project under peoples’ planning project. The corporation is responsible for funding the project whereas KSEB’s task is to purchase and install the lights,” said a corporation officer.
A total of about 80,000 lights need to be replaced by LED lights. Meanwhile, to cover the rest of the project the local body has chosen two companies through the expression of interests. “The tender has been submitted and now only after the technical sanction the local body will finalise which company will carry out the project,” said the PWD standing committee chairperson S Pushpalata.