As part of its initiative to use greener sources of energy, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has commenced installation of LED streetlights in 8, divisions 9, 10, 11 and 12. The civic corporation plans to replace 30,000 streetlights in the city with LED lights so as to cut its electricity bill by about Rs.30 lakh every month.
The installation commenced a few days ago. Officials said 72 LED streetlights have been put up in different divisions. Division 8 corporator J. Sambasiva Rao said new streetlights have been installed in NSR Nagar and Bagaiah Bazaar near the NTR statue.
The LED lights are the result of a memorandum of understanding signed between VMC and Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL). The total project cost is Rs.29.61 crore. The project is being executed on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis under which EESL will install, maintain and transfer the ownership of streetlights to VMC after seven years, said VMC commissioner G. Veerapandian.
At present, VMC’s expenditure on operating 30,000 streetlights in the city is Rs.62 lakh per month. Once the LED lights are installed, VMC would have to pay Rs. 33 lakh per month to EESL. It does not have to make any investment. The maintenance of streetlights will be taken care of by EESL.
Mr. Veerapandian said all the 30,000 conventional streetlights will be replaced with LED lights in three months. EESL will attend to streetlight repairs within 48 hours, failing which a penalty will be levied.
