After a row over installing LEDs in the city came to an end recently, Maharashtra government has decided promote them in rural areas also by installing them as streetlights. The government has said use of LED lamps will save 50 to 60 per cent of the power presently consumed and will ultimately save money as well. The government will fund 90 per cent of the scheme and the remaining 10 per cent will have to be borne by gram panchayats.
“The LEDs have a shell life of 50,000 to one lakh hours, giving relief from changing of bulbs at particular intervals. This scheme will help in saving power on a large scale in villages,” an official from the energy department said. As per the state economic survey in 2014, 43,665 villages have 50 streetlights each, which use 60-watt bulbs. Using LED lamps will save 50 to 60 per cent of the power consumed and they will have longer shell life too. The energy department official said funds for the scheme could be raised from funds of the people’s representatives, district planning funds, among others. The tribal-dominated villages will get 100 per cent subsidy from the government for the scheme, he said.
The government has already started replacing streetlights in Mumbai with LED lamps. However, the move recently witnessed a heated exchange between the ruling combine of Shiv Sena and BJP after white LED lamps were installed on Marine Drive.
Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray said the move made Marine Drive lose its sheen while BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar opposed changing it back to yellow.
Finally, Marine Drive got its original yellow tint back with the re-installation of yellow LEDs.
