Solar street lighting mooted in city.

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has chalked out plans to generate solar power to meet the growing power demands of the city. A 100-KV capacity solar power project has already been started at a school in Jakkampudi housing complex.

The Corporation would take up similar projects at its head office, council hall, head water works, sewerage treatment plants at Ajitsingh Nagar and Ramalingeswara Nagar.

Municipal Commissioner C. Hari Kiran said that it was estimated that these projects would cost Rs. 5 crore. Of this, Rs.1.5 crore would be subsidy from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Remaining Rs. 3.5 crore would have to be borne by the civic body.

With the financial crunch grappling the VMC, it is not in a position to the shoulder that amount. So, plans are afoot to rope in some private agencies to fund the projects. International agencies such as KFW, CDIA, and ICLE have already evinced interest in installing the solar systems. The agencies would recover their investments through power savings made by the Corporation, the Municipal Commissioner said.

The Commissioner further said that plans were afoot to use LED lights for street lighting in the city, adding that solar systems would also be used to feed power to traffic signalling system.


THE HINDU