Tuesday, May 06, 2014:In what could be a really energy efficient step, Kolkata is reportedly going to smarter streetlights soon. According to a report by the Times of India, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been approached by Energy Efficient Services Limited (EESL) to take up the project.
The firm, which has been floated by the Rural Electrification Corporation, NTPC, Power Financy Corporation and Power Grid Corporation, has made a proposal to replace 300,000 sodium vapour and metal halide street lights with LED lights. These would consume much less electricity than the conventional street lamps.
The lights will be fitted with radio chips that will allow them to be monitored wirelessly. This would allow for the lights to be switched on/off and their brightness be controlled from a central system.
The TOI report stated that a KMC official has confirmed that preliminary talks for the initiative had already taken place. “It is a central government scheme and will be implemented in mega cities. Kolkata is one of them,” TOI quoted the source as saying. A pilot project has apparently been conducted at the Rashbehari connector and Wipro flyover at Nabadiganta.
