THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation has kick-started the proceedings to replace the old neon lamps in the city with new LED lights. The installation of LED lights will likely start next month after receiving the necessary approvals, said the corporation officials.
The tender documents of the three companies, shortlisted for the contract for the three KSEB divisions -- Thiruvananthapuram, Kazhakootam, and Neyyattinkara -- have been submitted before a PWD committee for approval.
Once the tender gets the PWD nod, it will be presented before the corporation council meeting for its approval. These proceedings are expected to be completed this month itself. “Efforts are on to speed up the proceedings. Once we get the necessary approvals, we will issue the work order in a month. The work must be started at least 14 days after the work order is issued. The companies will be given a maximum of six months to complete the installation process,” said corporation secretary Binu Francis.
The corporation has yet to reveal the names of the shortlisted companies. Binu said the names could be revealed only after the council approves the tender. In addition to installation, the companies will be responsible for the maintenance of the lights for ten years.
Meanwhile, the corporation has not included the double-poled neon street lights on the median of the 42 km-long road in the city under the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) under this project. The lights in the area that comes under the city corporation will be replaced first.
“We are ready to include the replacement of lights maintained by the KRFB in the project. However, the agency should approach us. They have an agreement with the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL). So we don’t know whether they will be ready to hand it over to us,” Francis added.
However, a KRFB official said the PWD will decide whether the KRFB will replace the neon and faulty lights or include them in the LED light projects. The official also said all the lights along the 14km-long road under the KRFB will be replaced with solar-powered LED lamps within two months. The lights at many parts of the city have remained dysfunctional for the past two months, including on major stretches like the Vellayambalam-LMS junction and 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. Meanwhile, the city corporation’s plan 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.
‘Smart’ move