Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has converted around 30,000 of the total 1.26 lakh sodium vapour street lights into LED lights in the last 15 months. The target is to convert remaining 96,000 street lights into LED by December end.
The contracts given to eight private companies said all 1.26 lakh street lights were to be replaced with LEDs by July-end. However, the work has been delayed due to Metro works, inordinate delay in completion of Ring Road Cement Concrete project, and delay in approval to raise Rs59 crore loan.
An NMC official told TOI they need to shift street lights on two Metro Rail corridors again. “There are over 3,000 street lights on the two corridors. We have shifted maximum street lights from road-divider to two sides of the roads. Now, MahaMetro has said the street lights need to be shifted again as it is acquiring 3-3.5 meter wide stretch on both sides of the roads for widening, and construction of cycle track. So, footpath on both sides will be shifted,” he said.
The official added NMC has sent a letter to MahaMetro to permit installation of street lights on Metro rail girders. “There will be no obstacles if street lights are installed on girders, like those below flyovers. Also, cost of poles and wires will be saved,” he said.
However, a MahaMetro official said it will not be possible due to steep variation in corridor height. “Girders of corridors are 10-23 meter above the road. Street lights require a uniform height to maintain required illumination. We will chalk out a proper plan with NMC,” he said.
The estimated cost of the
street light project is Rs470 crore, of which Rs277 crore is for replacement of existing street light panels with LEDs, Rs106 crore for operation and maintenance of LED street lights for 99 months, Rs59 crore for infrastructure development, and Rs28 crore for works on Ring Road and Metro rail corridor. Work orders for executing the works were issued to eight private companies in January.
NMC was to provide Rs59 crore to the private companies for infrastructure development like replacing poles and electric lines. NMC got permission to raise the loan in November last year, and an application for loan sent to a bank is pending.
NMC officials said works will speed up once the loan is approved. “MahaMetro and state PWD are giving Rs28 crore for street light works on Metro rail routes and Ring Road respectively.”
