KMC to install LED advertisement boards in city

Kolkata: In a significant step towards curbing pollution and reduction in electricity bills, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will install LED advertisement boards that will be lit up by solar power at 26 places in Kolkata.

The decision has been taken in the recent Mayor in Council's (MMiC) meeting. The tender in this regard will be floated soon, an official in the Advertisement department of the civic body said.

According to sources at the advertisement department, the places that have been earmarked for this purpose include Park Circus, Dum Dum Road, Jadavpur 8B bus stand, junction of Sukanta Setu in Jadavpur, Ramlal Bazaar crossing, Santoshpur crossing, DL Khan Road, AJC Bose Road, Sarat Bose Road, Elgin Road, SP Mukherjee Road to name a few.

"The company that will put their advertisements in these LED monopoles will have to keep 60 percent of these boards for social welfare schemes undertaken by the state government like Kanyashree, Khadya Sathi, Sabuj Sathi, Rupashree etc or that of KMC regarding dangerous buildings, unit area assessment, drive against vector-borne diseases and others.

The rest 40 percent will be reserved for their own advertisements," a senior official of the KMC's advertisement department said.

It may be mentioned that in a bid to check illegal banners and hoardings of advertisements in the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will introduce GPS mapping.

"We have a GPS mapping system to keep a check on filling up of waterbodies. A similar system will be introduced in case of advertisements as well," a senior official said.

He added that the civic body will prepare a map of the geographical area and anyone, who puts up advertisement hoardings beyond that area, can be identified through this GPS mapping. "This will stop illegal hoardings in the city," he added.