Mira Bhayandar: To combat the issue of growing dark zones, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has embarked on a journey to install 23 more high mast tower lights at strategic locations across the twin-city. With the latest additions, the total number of high mast lights will jump to 50.
Out of the 23 additional high mast lights, 15 have already been installed and work was under progress to install the remaining eight. “Equipped with red beacon lights also known as aviation obstruction lights (AOL), the estimated cost of each high mast light is pegged at Rs. 7 to 8 lakh.” said a junior engineer attached to MBMC’s electrical department.
Apart from giving protection against lightning, the AOL lights are useful to help pilots avoid collisions with tall structures in areas where aircrafts might be flying at low altitudes.
The Rs 1.75 crore project is being funded by the state government from the Sahitya Ratna Demokratir Anna Bhau Sathe Development Corporation kitty. So far, the MBMC has decommissioned 68 street lights that were installed in the illuminated areas of the of the newly erected high-mast poles which would save around Rs.1.5 lakh which was being to the service provider towards electricity and maintenance charges per month.
As per statistics there are more than 16,000 street light poles in the twin-city out of which 14,000 have been installed by the private service provider and rest by the civic administration. With an average expense of Rs 800 per pole, the MBMC spent around Rs 15 crore every year to keep the street lights glowing.
However, the ongoing transition to replace conventional yellow sodium vapour lamps with Light Emitting Diode (LED) powered street lights is expected to save up to 40 percent of electricity, moreover the LED lasts nearly four times as compared to conventional sodium vapour lights.
