Coimbatore Corporation will replace all the street lights in added areas and install new lights wherever required. Mayor S.M. Velusamy told reporters here that in the 40 wards in added areas, the Corporation would replace 29,000 street lights with LEDs.
But the process would begin only after the Corporation obtained the audit report from the auditor engaged for the purpose. The auditor would study the 40 wards for about four months and submit a report. Thereafter, the Corporation would engage the agency that had won the tender for the purpose to replace the lights. The entire process would take about 16 months.
By the end of 2014, the added areas would be on a par with the old city areas as far as street lighting was concerned.
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He said that in the last Council meeting the Corporation had passed a resolution in this regard. The entire project would cost around Rs. 20 crore.
Mr. Velusamy said that the Corporation would not pay the contractor upfront. It would install around 50 per cent and then wait for the performance of the street lights. The contractor had to establish that the LEDs consumed 35 per cent less power compared to conventional street lights and only then the civic body would release the instalments over a period of five years.
This had been factored into the contract agreement, he said.
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The Corporation would also initiate a similar move to replace lights and poles in the old city areas.