The lED street lights installed in the Capital City by Energy Efficiency Services limited (EESl) at major routes to amplify the beauty of the State Capital and above all to provide safety to the city residents are left in muddle.
Attempts to illuminate isolated streets by mounting lED streets lights did not sustain for long as merely after six months, most of these lED street lights have become non-functional while the matter is being continuously overlooked by the concerned maintenance agency.
Major by lanes connecting Kanke Road, Karbala Chowk, Dehla Toli behind Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) remained in darkness with the technical fault of this major civic arrangement. When enquired about the reasons behind the non-functional of these lED street lights, RMC Officer (PR), Naresh Sinha stated that the Municipal Corporation has received the complaints over this issue. Due to pole shifting process, the problem has aroused while attempts are being made to address the problem at the earliest.
“A few weeks back, we have addressed the similar problem at Karbala Chowk. EESl, the nodal agency for operation and maintenance (O&M) of street lights within the municipal jurisdiction have been made aware about this problem. The company officials have assured us that soon, the problem will be addressed. Underground cabling work is the prime cause of this mess,” added Sinha.
For over five years, EESl has been given the responsibility of O&M of lED street lights here in Capital City as well as in the other parts of the State. “A list of all such areas where lED street lights are not functioning well is being prepared. Along with the staffs of EESl, technical support unit of RMC is also monitoring the present condition of lED street lights that is left defunct. A team will be sent for inspection of all such spots from where the complaints have been received,” Sinha further added.
With an objective to save 42 lakh kWh annually through the Street light National Programme (SlNP), EESl launched the plan in State Capital in September 2017. Ranchi and other Urban local Bodies (UlBs) is being covered up under SlNP programme launched by PM Narendra Modi in January 2017 with a target of retrofitting 1.34 crore conventional street lights with Energy Efficient lED lighting by March 2019.
So far, the company has been successful in installing around 10 thousand lED street lights at different avenues. The programme that has been undertaken by EESl in two phases is expected to cover all the UlBs by March 2018.
Meanwhile, RMC Officer (PR) clarified that besides the O&M of lED street lights functioning by Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) in association with EESl, a few other private agencies have been given the work of maintenance of lED street lights which does not fall in the jurisdiction of municipal corporation.
“Areas like MG Road, Kanke main locality is being maintained by the other private parties under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes of different companies, hence the problem cannot be addressed there,” said Sinha.