By A Staff Reporter, Lalitpur, June 17: Smart street lights are set to be installed in the Balkumari-Balkhu section of the Ring Road.

The Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC), under a tripartite agreement with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and the Department of Roads (DoR), will install the street lights in that section area as part of its ‘Bright City’ campaign.

The project is expected to cost Rs. 173.6 million, of which LMC and NEA will bear 60 and 40 per cent of the expenses respectively. Of the 60 per cent cost to be covered by the metro, the DoR will contribute Rs. 30 million.

Lalitpur Mayor Chiri Babu Maharjan claimed that the smart lights would make the Ring Road safer. “The road appears modern and attractive but is very unsafe. Many people have lost their lives in accidents that happened at night due to lack of lights,” he said. “The lights will help to make the road less fatal.”

Stating that the smart lights would make the city more beautiful, NEA Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya lauded the initiative taken by the City.

He also highlighted the need to install such lights in other locations in the Kathmandu Valley as well in other areas of the country.

Director-General of the DoR Arjun Thapa informed that the department was working on various projects to make the Ring Road safer for pedestrians as well as for vehicles.

LMC has already installed 669 smart street lights along the road from Kupondole to Satdobato via Jawalakhel and Lagankhel, from Himalayan Hotel to Lagankhel via Patandhoka, Ashok Hall, Kwalkhu and Mangalbazaar and from Pulchowk to Gwarko.

Similarly, it has called a tender to install smart street lights in the areas outside the Ring Road including Khokana, Bungamati, Harisiddhi, Sunakothi and Dhapakhel.