KMC installs 1,026 smart lights on the streets of capital city

Kathmandu / Feb 5: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has installed 1,026 smart ‘street lights’ at various places in the capital city.

Among them, 318 lights have been installed in Maharajganj-Lainchaur-Jamal section, 363 in the Maharajgunj National Police Academy-Baluwatar-Naxal-Maitighar Mandala route, 181 from Kamalpokhari to Gaushala, 76 along the Tripureshwor-Thapathali-Maitighar Mandala road, and 99 in Chabahil-Boudha road section.

According to Padma Raj Paudel, electrical engineer of the KMC, 120-watt lights have been installed on wider roads and 90-watt lights have been installed on narrow roads.

The metropolis has also added new poles where there were enough lights. Altogether 177 new poles were added and 30,710 meters of wire used to connect electricity, according to the KMC.

Additionally, 421 solar panels that were deemed unusable for installing smart lights were removed. These poles were initially installed by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and the private sector organization.

The KMC officials said that modern street lights have been installed to enhance traffic management, ensure public safety, and contribute to social security during night time.

Once installed, all lights will be integrated into a unified system, allowing for convenient control such as adjusting brightness, dimming, and turning lights off or on, all managed from a centralized screen.

As per the agreement with NEA, the KMC will bear 60 percent of the estimated cost of around Rs 119.9 million for installing the smart lights while the NEA will bear 40 percent of the cost.