11,500 smart street lights installed under Bright City Campaign

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 5: Around 11,500 highly modern smart street lights have been installed under the 'Bright City Campaign'.

The Nepal Electricity Authority has installed 67 modern high-mast lights and other lights that scatter light in all directions in the main squares of the city in cost-sharing with local levels.

The Authority has contributed about Rs. 420 million for the construction of structures to install street lights, according to the NEA.

The Authority is installing modern smart lights in the main roads, historical cultural heritages, tourist centres listed on the World Heritage List and tourist spots in coordination and partnership with the municipalities under the 'Bright City Campaign'.

The utility believes that this will enhance the beauty of the city, increase the demand for electricity and also boost consumption of electricity that is wasted at night.

The NEA is conducting a survey and designing for installing special types of lights in monasteries and tourist areas of historical and archeological importance.

Managing Director of NEA Kul Man Ghising said that after the end of load shedding in the country, the smart street light installation programme was started in cost-sharing basis with the local levels and to electrify the places without electricity and to enhance urban beauty.

"It is not enough to turn on the electricity in the house, for the urban beauty and safety the streets should also be bright, that's why the programme has been started in partnership with the local levels. Now there is a demand for the installation of street lights from the local levels all over the country," he said.

"Now we are working with short-term, medium-term and long-term plans to make electricity supply sufficient, reliable, qualitative and safe."

The smart lights can be controlled automatically from the feeder panel in the Authority's system. Feeder panels have been installed for this. Separate transformers have been installed for street lights only.

Smart lights are directly connected to the Authority's server. There is an automatic system to turn on the lights when it's dark and turn off when it's bright from the software.

Billing of electricity is done by means of the software. Monitoring whether the lights are on or off can also be done through the software. The electricity tariff will be paid by the respective municipalities.

The installation of street lights has been completed in Lalitpur and Pokhara Metropolitan City, Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City and Kankai, Belaka, Bhimeshwar, Bhimdatta and Phidim municipalities, said the NEA.

The installation of smart street lights in Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Mahalakxmi, Budhanilkanth, Siddharthanagar and Manthali municipalities is in the final stage.

An agreement has been signed with three metropolitan cities, including Kathmandu Metropolitan City, three sub-metropolitan cities and 13 municipalities for the installation of smart street lights on cost-sharing basis.

In partnership with the Department of Road, Lalitpur Metropolitan City and the Authority, an agreement has been reached for the installation of smart street lights on the Balkumari-Balkhu road section of the extended ring road.

A total of 75 per cent of the cost of installing street lights will be shared by the Metropolitan City and 25 per cent by the Authority. In the sub-metropolitan city, 70 per cent from the respective sub-metropolitan city and 30 percent of the Authority will be the investment share.

In the municipality, 65 per cent will be met from the respective municipality's share and 35 per cent from the Authority's investment.

Likewise, in rural municipalities, respective rural municipalities will bear 60 per cent and NEA 40 per cent for the installation of smart lights.

Inauguration of smart street lights in Pokhara

Nepal's major tourist city, Pokhara, has started to be lit with high masts and smart street lights.

As part of the 'Bright Pokhara Campaign', high masts installed in the main squares of Pokhara and street lights have been inaugurated.

Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhan Raj Acharya and the NEA MD Ghising jointly inaugurated the high masts and street lights installed on the new streets of Pokhara on Sunday.

Mayor Acharya said that the street lights have enhanced the beauty of Pokhara and made road travel safer.

He said that the second phase of the programme has been started for the installation of street lights in the rest of the places.

In partnership with Pokhara Metropolitan City, 23 modern high-mast lights have been installed on 16-meter high poles in 23 main squares of Pokhara.

Around 2,007 street lights have been installed on 60 kilometers of main roads within the metropolis.

The cost of the street light installation project is Rs. 146 million.