THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The survey before the installation of LED lights replacing the old neon lamps within the corporation limits has begun. The city corporation is also set to sign the agreement with the three companies shortlisted for the contract for the three KSEB divisions each –Thiruvananthapuram, Kazhakootam, and Neyyattinkara – within two weeks. A high-level meeting of all stakeholders, including the city corporation, KSEB, and the representatives of the three companies, held ten days ago decided to start the work at the earliest.
“Efforts are on to begin the installation soon. The shortlisted companies have started the survey by geo-tagging each of the lights. The installation will be in full throttle once the survey is completed in all the three KSEB sections that come under the corporation limits. We will also sign the MoU with the companies within two weeks. So technically, we can say that the installation proceedings have started,” said corporation secretary Binu Francis.
Bengaluru-based Pamidi Projects (P) Ltd., AR Constructions, and a joint venture between Alpha Constructions and New Delhi-based Crompton Greaves are the companies shortlisted for the project. In addition to the installation, these firms will be responsible for the maintenance of the streetlights for ten years.
Solar-powered streetlights for KRFB-maintained roads
Meanwhile, the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) is looking to replace the neon lights on the roads it maintain with solar-powered lights.
The corporation has not included the double-poled neon street lights on the median of the 14.2 km-long road in the city under the KRFB under the current project. Hence, the lights in the area that comes under the city corporation will be replaced first.
However, a KRFB official said that the estimate for replacing the neon lights under KRFB is in progress.
“We are working out the estimate for replacing the lights with solar powered ones. Once we complete the estimate, we will submit it to the PWD electrical wing. Upon receiving the PWD approval, we will go for tender proceedings,” the official said.
The lights in many parts of the city have remained dysfunctional for the past two months, including the ones on major stretches like the Vellayambalam-LMS junction and the Chackai-General Hospital junction. The state government had made temporary arrangements to provide power connections to the lights during Onam.
The corporation has plans to install more than 1 lakh streetlights in the city. However, the city corporation’s move to invite an expression of interest to install streetlights on the NH 66 bypass has reached nowhere. The standoff between the National Highways Authority of India and the corporation continues, though several private investors have shown interest. The private partner will also pay for material purchases and cover electricity costs during this period.In 2020, the corporation replaced nearly 39,500 of the total 85,000 streetlights in 100 wards.