CHENNAI: City streets will start looking brighter at nights as Chennai Corporation plans to install more than 6,000 LEDs (light-emitting-diode) as streets lights by the year end. With an aim to make the city more energy efficient, corporation allocated Rs 150 crore to the electrical department in this year's fiscal budget, which is a 50% increase from last year. "Our electricity bill will significantly reduce," a senior corporation official said. The LEDs will replace CFL bulbs and age old sodium lamps in both interior roads and arterial roads. "There will be 30 to 50 meters distance between each lamp post," the official said. "Work orders have been given and contractors will have to complete installing the lights and lamp posts within six months."
Lack of effective street lighting has been an issue in many residential colonies. In Kodambakkam, residents say that a year ago they had requested mayor Saidai Duraisamy to install street lights. "There are no street lights on the service lane of Arcot Road from Station Border Road up to United India Colony 1st Main Road, barring one old lamp post and light which doesn't work frequently," says D Balaji, vice president of Kodambakkam Residents' Welfare Association. "Mayor sanctioned new street lights for us right then so we don't know why it is being delayed. This is a crucial road and public is unable to use this because it is dark, narrow and unsafe. Since no one uses this road, there is massive commuter and pedestrians traffic on Station View Road."
Some of the roads that will have LED street lights are Perambur High Road, Thirumangalam Main Road, Ramandhiram Street in Villivakkam, KK Nagar, MMDA Colony Main Road, Luz Church Road, Burkit Road and South Usman Road. The advantages of using LEDs are that they have a longer life span, they are brighter, they emit lesser heat and have no mercury content. Though the initial cost of LEDs is higher they operate on a low cost resulting in reduced electricity bills. Civic officials have also said that they will start a streetlight monitoring system that will allow them to track streetlights that stop functioning.
Lack of effective street lighting has been an issue in many residential colonies. In Kodambakkam, residents say that a year ago they had requested mayor Saidai Duraisamy to install street lights. "There are no street lights on the service lane of Arcot Road from Station Border Road up to United India Colony 1st Main Road, barring one old lamp post and light which doesn't work frequently," says D Balaji, vice president of Kodambakkam Residents' Welfare Association. "Mayor sanctioned new street lights for us right then so we don't know why it is being delayed. This is a crucial road and public is unable to use this because it is dark, narrow and unsafe. Since no one uses this road, there is massive commuter and pedestrians traffic on Station View Road."
Some of the roads that will have LED street lights are Perambur High Road, Thirumangalam Main Road, Ramandhiram Street in Villivakkam, KK Nagar, MMDA Colony Main Road, Luz Church Road, Burkit Road and South Usman Road. The advantages of using LEDs are that they have a longer life span, they are brighter, they emit lesser heat and have no mercury content. Though the initial cost of LEDs is higher they operate on a low cost resulting in reduced electricity bills. Civic officials have also said that they will start a streetlight monitoring system that will allow them to track streetlights that stop functioning.
Source : TOI
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