LED streetlight project to be completed next month

Kochi: City corporation and Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) are all set to complete replacing all old streetlights in the city with high lumen LED lights by the end of Oct. Though the project, which was launched a few months ago, faced initial glitches, it later gained momentum. Around 30,000 LED lights have been installed so far.This will help corporation cut down energy use and save around Rs 8 crore every year. "The project has made progress in the past couple of months. The plan is to replace around 40,000 streetlights. The existing streetlights, mostly sodium vapour lamps and other incandescent lamps, consume more energy," mayor M Anilkumar said. "The entire project can be completed by the end of Oct," he added.At the same time, the streetlight system in certain stretches like Edappally-Vyttila bypass and Ernakulam North-Kacheripady is not operating properly. "During the works related to national highway, street main lines (electric lines which provide supply to streetlights) got damaged. We have requested CSML to fix the damage," Anilkumar said. "It will require an additional sum of at least Rs 1 crore for the work. As the repair work is not within the scope of work CSML has already undertaken, corporation will have to give the sum to the agency," he added.Another issue is that the newly installed lights are getting damaged immediately. "When an average of 500 LED lights are installed, some 30 get damaged. Some of the councillors have already raised the issue, and CSML is addressing that issue too," the mayor said.The agency which provides the lights will also give a seven-year warranty and five-year maintenance.