Solar lamps to be installed in all parks and squares under KMC jurisdiction

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will install solar lamps in all its parks and squares soon, Debashis Kumar, member, mayor- in – council (parks) said on Thursday. He said it will reduce the electric bill drastically. Already solar lights have been installed in 28 parks. KMC has 700 big and small parks under its jurisdiction.

Solar lamps have already been installed in Deshbandhu Park, College Square and Hazra Park. Kumar said the initial cost of installation of the lamps was more but it had reduced the electricity bill and the maintenance cost was also low.

The KMC first installed solar lamps in Deshpriya Park as a pilot project. Also, the brightness of the lamps is reduced to facilitate birds and insects. After trident lamps were installed nature lovers alleged that many of the birds had been killed because of the powerful lamps.

The birds first suffered from insomnia and later died. They maintained that many birds died at Rabindra Sarovar Lake where trident lamps had been installed.

Similarly, the insects also died because of the bright lamps. The trident lamps did not have any regulator to reduce the brightness and this had affected the insects adversely. Kumar said the brightness of the lamps was reduced after dusk when the birds returned to their nests and between 9pm and 10 pm the lights at the parks are switched off.

He said KMC had taken several eco friendly steps like installation of compactors replacing the old garbage vats. “The city is becoming cleaner and greener and the citizens should love the city that is looking beautiful,” he said.

KMC has also decided to provide stationary and mobile compactors in all the 125 urban local bodies throughout West Bengal. The decision was taken following the instruction of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It may be mentioned that Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has replaced the open vats with compactors under its Clean City project.

All the eight urban local bodies of West Midnapore district, namely, Jhargram, Kharar, Khirpai, Ramjibanpur, Chandrakona, Ghatal, Midnapore and Kharagpur have already been provided with mobile compactors.

A total of 22 stationary compactors with hook loader and 186 mobile compactors have been procured by the department. Already 150 compactors have been commissioned and the rest would be made functional by end July.