The Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) has signed an agreement with Delhi-based Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to replace conventional streetlights with LED. The work is expected to be completed with seven to eight months. EESL has been one of the largest implementors of deploying LED streetlights in many states. The company along with installing the LED streetlights will also be taking care of infrastructure requirements by installing poles and manage the wire mazes whereever required.
According to the contract, EESL has to ensure that 95 per cent streetlights will be functioning all the time and in case it doesn’t have the company will have to pay penalty. The VMC is expected to have a saving of Rs 18 crore by deploying LED streetlights in eights years time.
The cost of installing the lights will be paid by EESL right now and when the VMC starts saving money because of LED usage it will start paying EESL. The agreement was signed by mayor and managing director of EESL Saurabh Kumar in presence of municipal commissioner Shrihari Pratap Shahi.
The central government has already been distributing LED bulbs in subsidised rates to citizens under the UJALA scheme. The government wants people to be aware of how LEDs can be a great source of energy saver.
By Atanu Kumar Das
