Solar lamps at parks to reduce energy bill

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to install lamps to be lit with solar energy in all the parks maintained by it to reduce electricity bills.

Out of 652 parks, 16 have been selected for the first phase, member and Mayor-in-Council of parks and gardens Debashis Kumar said.

Kumar said the monthly electricity bill of a park is between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000 and the authorities want to reduce the amount. As a pilot project, solar energy lamps has been installed in Desapriya Park at a cost of Rs 40 lakh and the monthly power bill there has been slashed from Rs 50,000 to Rs 8,000, he said. The state government has sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore for the first phase which would be completed within two to three months, Kumar said.