All DSCC streets to get LED lights this year

Light emitting diode (LED) bulbs will replace all sodium and other forms of street lights under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) this year, increasing visibility and reducing electricity consumption, said Mayor Sayeed Khokon yesterday.

Inaugurating the initiative by switching on lights near Panthakunja, he also said CCTV camera footages would be clearer and law enforcing agencies would be able to easily identify persons inside the moving vehicles.

Initially, 2,687 LED lights would be installed by June, costing around Tk 21 crore, from Banglamotor to Central Shaheed Minar via Shahbagh, from Shahbagh to Jatiya Press Club via Doyel Chattar, from Kadam Foara to Ruposhi Bangla via the Kakrail mosque and from Zero Point to Curzon Hall.

DSCC Chief Executive Officer Khan Mohammad Billal said there were 37,000 street lights in DSCC areas, including 8,000 in primary roads.

He said all the lights would be replaced by December if the LGRD and cooperatives ministry provides the around Tk 200 crore sought by DSCC.

DSCC Superintendent Engineer Zafor Ahmed said a sensor would automatically turn the lights on and off. The Nagar Bhaban authority will be able to do the same and identify inoperative ones using a software, he said.

He said in many cases street lights were manually controlled, which was time consuming and caused electricity wastage.

LED lights last 10 times longer than sodium lights and the annual maintenance cost of one is Tk 5,600 whereas for a sodium light it is Tk 12,000, he said.