More than Rs. 4 crore being spent on streetlights of Navi Mumbai every month
12 Feb, 2014An application was filed with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking to get information about the number of streetlights and high masts, the monthly power bills of the last year, the expenses incurred on the installation and the amount paid to the operators of the streetlights.
The reply from the NMC states that there are around 28,081 streetlights for which Rs. 1.40 crores are spent every month and another Rs. 2.9 crores are spent on maintaining the 46 high masts. The reply stated that Rs. 369 is spent on each light bulb and most of the lights have multiple bulbs. The price increases for high masts as they have halogen lights.
The applicant has alleged that while operating the solar-powered streetlights, the NMMC has failed to take into account the seasonal variations of sunlight. He also claimed that he tried many a times to approach the electricity department in order to make them understand that considering the seasonal pattern would greatly minimize the power bills. The applicant claimed that the fixed timing of switching the lights on (7:00 PM) and switching them off (6:30 AM) leads to energy wastage.