Undertaking to discuss proposal for bringing back LED lamps as streetlights in Mumbai in meeting today, even as committee members oppose move
The flip-flop over the type of lamps to be used as streetlights at Marine Drive had led to a lot of controversy in the past. File pic
Election fever is in the air, and with it, LED lamp fever too. The Shiv Sena-BJP-led BEST Undertaking will be discussing bringing back of white and yellow LED lamps as streetlights in the nine wards of south and central Mumbai.
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The flip-flop over these lights — replacement of the yellow sodium-vapour lamps with white LED bulbs and then reverting to the former — has created much ruckus and controversy in the past.
Stiff opposition
The Undertaking, in the first phase, wants to install 4,467 LED lamps as streetlights at a cost of R3.43 crore by the end of March 2017. Sources said the BEST has called for tenders and already received response from a lot of companies, even as it battles strong opposition from its committee members.
The Congress-NCP combine and the MNS are claiming that the Sena-BJP is trying to push for these bulbs at a time when the administration doesn’t even have money to pay Diwali bonus to its employees. “We are already struggling to give Diwali bonus to employees. The Undertaking must explain the financial source for installing these many LED lamps,” said Kedar Hombalkar, BEST committee member, MNS.
BEST committee member from Congress Sandesh Kondvilkar said, “The BMC should pay for these LED bulbs.”
As per plan
The Undertaking plans to install both white (cool) and yellow (warm) LED bulbs of different watts, which will be decided based on the road — different wattage ones for bylanes, two-lane roads and highways.
In all, the BEST wants to install 44,670 LED lamps as streetlights over the next five years at a cost of R9 crore.
“We will be discussing the proposal on October 26 in a meeting. We are looking at getting financial support from the BMC,” said Mohan Mithbavkar, chairman, BEST committee.
These LED lamps are said to be cost-effective and better in the longer run as compared to the current sodium vapour ones.
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