With an aim to reduce power consumption and cut down the electricity
bill by at least 35 per cent every month, Bhubaneswar Municipal
Corporation (BMC) has decided to opt for energy efficient street
lighting. The project will be executed in the public-private partnership
(PPP) mode. BMC stipulates that company should have capacity to reduce
the power bill by 35 per cent.

Four private firms have applied for
the technical bid, out of which two were disqualified. The proposal
offered by the remaining two bidders will be forwarded. BMC officials
said the two firms have offered bill reduction higher than 35 per cent.
The firm that will offer maximum reduction in the electricity bill will
be awarded the project.

“The roped in firm will first evaluate the
street lighting of the City and then before stepping up, illumination
requirements of a particular area will be studied properly,” said BMC
City Engineer TBK Shroff.

Over 30,000 street lights are in the
city for which the BMC is currently shelling out ` 70 lakhs as
electricity bill every month. BMC is targeting to make 20,000 street
lights energy efficient in first phase.  Under the project, dimmers will
be installed which will reduce the intensity of illumination according
to the availability of lights. Timers will be set up so that the lights
will be switched off automatically at a specific time. Replacement of
transformers and reworking of cable wires will also be undertaken.

If
20,000 street lights are successfully converted for energy efficient
lighting, the work for rest 10,000 lights will be taken up.