Civic body to install solar panels for street lighting

kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is planning to install solar panels for lighting of street lights at a number of thoroughfares in the city with the aim to reduce carbon footprints.

Ten parks maintained by KMC have already shifted to solar energy, leading to decrease in pollution and electricity cost borne by the civic body.

"Now, we are planning to implement the park model on roads by installing solar panels over the roadside gardens that we have created," Debasish Kumar, Member Mayor-in-Council (Parks & Gardens) of KMC said.

According to sources, the pilot project will begin from four roads, including BB Ganguly Street, Rammohun Roy Sarani, Sashi Bhusan Dey Street and College Street. Around 1500 metre road stretch will be covered by solar panels.

On roads where median is available, KMC is developing green verge and at other places, the footpaths are being used for this purpose.

The official pointed out that the capital investment involved in installation of solar panels is huge but it results in huge saving of electricity cost.

There are 700 parks in the city maintained by KMC. Deshapriya Park, Maddox Square Park, Hazra Park are the well-known parks that have solar lighting.