Like every village in the State, lights are turned on at 6 p.m. every day in the villages in G. Bommasandra Gram Panchayat in Chickballapur district and switched off at 6 a.m. the next day. What sets these apart is that they are all LED (light-emitting diodes) bulbs.
Even as the State government thinks of installing LED streetlights in all rural and urban local bodies, as well as supplying them to domestic consumers from January next, G. Bommasandra has gone a step ahead by installing 600 power savers. What’s more, they are fitted with sensors so that they go on and off at the appointed time. G. Bommasandra panchayat has become the first rural local body to take this progressive step.
Replacing tube and mercury-vapour lights, LED bulbs were installed at a cost of Rs. 22.5 lakh. While the gram panchayat contributed Rs. 7 lakh, the remaining came from donors, says vice-president Venkatesh.
With installation of LED lights, the gram panchayat is set to save several lakh rupees on electricity bills every month. It was decided to utilise the saved funds for other development works. The gram panchayat has disbursed usable, old bulbs removed from electricity poles to the schools and temples under its jurisdiction. The rural local body has decided to supply two LED bulbs free to every household in its jurisdiction, Mr. Venkatesh said.
G. Bommasandra is the first rural local body to take up the initiative
