The Times of India                17.06.2013

Hubli-Dharwad may get good streetlights

HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) is finding out ways and means to light up the streets and at the same time beat the rising cost of electricity bills and save energy. Currently HDMC is in talks with a government of India undertaking on the streetlight project. If all goes well, the twin cities will glow with good streetlights.

En ergy Efficiency Service Limited (EESL) has approached HDMC to save the civic body's annual expenditure on streetlights and to maintain the streetlights for six years. Speaking to TOI, Satish Phatke, executive engineer, electricity department, HDMC, sai d that as per the Energy Conservative Act 2001, the civic body has to adopt power-saving system or has to generate its own power.

''Recently we had talks with the assistant general manager of EESL company. It will help us to adopt an energy-efficiency project in the twin cities. The talks are going on at the highest level. Subsequenlty, we will finalize the terms with the company,'' he said.

The next step after high-level talks will be an energy audit. Later, the company will prepare a detailed project report on how to save energy. Then the maintenance of streetlights will be given to it, said Phatke. After the implementation of the project, the savings will be shared among the government, EESL and HDMC in a tripartite agreement, he added.

HDMC pays Rs 7.5 crore annually in electricity bills to Hescom for streetlights. Once the project is finalized, EESL will ensure that about 40% energ y is saved, which works out to about Rs 3 crore, and take over the maintenance of streetlights. Maintenance of lights is poor in some streets. This problem will end if maintenance is taken over by this company.

Mohan Asundi, former corporator, said that before signing the agreement, HDMC should look into the all the aspects like checking the track record of the company it intends to outsource the work. If revenue is saved, it will be good for the development of the twin cities.

The money saved can be utilized for other developmental works like roads, he said.