NEA joins hand with local Gov. to install 11,500 smart street lights in the main cities

Kathmandu; Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in collaboration with the local governments has installed 11,500 smart street lights in various cities across the country.

According to the state-owned public utility, it has erected the structures as a part of the 'Bright City Campaign.’ The NEA has set up such lights in the main squares of major cities in cost sharing deals with the local levels. The NEA has spent around Rs 420 million for the construction of the structures required for the street lights.

Under the 'Bright City Campaign', the NEA is partnering with municipalities to install decorative smart lights along major roads, historical and cultural heritage sites listed in the World Heritage List, and tourist destinations.

According to the officials of the NEA, street lights have been installed in Lalitpur, Pokhara, Dhangadhi, Kankai, Belka, Bhimeshwar, Bhimdatta and Phidim. Likewise, Bharatpur along with Mahalxmi, Budhanilkanth, Siddharthnagar and Manthali municipalities are in the final stage of installing smart street lights. Agreements have been signed with three metropolises, three sub-metropolises and 13 municipalities, including Kathmandu, for the installation of smart street lights on cost sharing basis.

Under the cost-sharing arrangement, 75 percent of the street light installation cost is borne by the metropolitan city, and 25 percent is covered by the NEA. In sub-metropolitan areas, the NEA's share of the total investment is 30 percent. In municipalities, 65 percent is contributed by the respective municipality, and 35 percent is covered by the NEA. In rural municipalities, 60 percent of the investment is funded by the respective rural municipality, with the remaining 40 percent provided by the NEA.

The NEA will oversee the cost estimation, selection of technology, purchase and construction. The maintenance of the installed street lights will be done by the construction company for five years. If municipalities submit bids with 100 percent investment, the NEA will offer technical support for the bidding process and supervision.

The NEA said it has stepped up the move with an expectation to enhance the beauty of the city, to increase the demand for electricity and to make use of electricity that would otherwise go to waste during the night time. The NEA is designing special types of lights for temples and tourist areas.

Managing Director of the NEA Kulman Ghising said that after the end of load shedding in the country, it launched the smart street light installation program to bring electricity to areas without access to power and to enhance urban aesthetics through cost-sharing partnerships with the local authorities. 

Ghising said that the NEA is working with short, medium and long-term plans to make electricity supply sufficient, reliable, standard and safe.

The smart lights installed by the NEA can be automatically controlled from the authority's system feeder panel, which has been installed for this purpose. 

These smart lights are directly connected to the NEA’s server. The software automatically turns on when it's dark and turns off when it's bright. Billing of electricity tariff is done through the software. The monitoring of the status of lights can also be done through the software. The electricity tariff will be paid by the respective municipalities.

A tripartite agreement has been signed between the Department of Roads, Lalitpur Metropolitan City and the NEA for the installation of smart street lights on the Balkumari-Balkhu road section of the expanded ring road.