Kathmandu, January 31

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has announced plans to install solar lights along 710-km stretch of roads in various municipalities and village development committees across the country.

Speaking at a press conference organised in the capital today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Kamal Thapa said that the ‘Public Participation Based Solar Street Light Programme’ would gradually replace the halogen, CFL and mercury-vapour lamps.

The January 22 Cabinet meeting had approved the Procedures on Public Participation Based Solar Street Light Programme, paving the way for the MoFALD to formally announce and initiate the programme.

The fiscal budget of 2015/16 had also made arrangements for necessary amount for the proposed programme.

Minister Thapa informed that the government would spend one billion rupees in addition to approximately Rs 420 million to be invested by local bodies and the people. According to the MoFALD, this programme will be implemented in a phase-wise manner in all districts on need basis.

The government, local bodies and consumers will bear 60, 25 and 15 per cent of the total expense in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City respectively.

In case of other places other than the KMC, the government will make an investment of 65 per cent while local bodies would bear 20 per cent and consumers 15 per cent.

The government, local body and consumers will bear 70, 20 and 10 per cent of the total cost respectively in highly-deprived settlements.

The MoFALD may also run the programme in conjunction with non-government organisations. In that case, the share of investment to be made by the government and such an organisation will be 70 and 30 per cent respectively.

On an average, it costs Rs 100,000 to install a solar-powered street light. The distance between the poles with a solar-powered light placed on it shall not exceed 50 metres. This programme is expected to save at least six megawatts of electricity.

Minister Thapa said, “This programme will be put into effect in municipal areas in the first phase before expanding it elsewhere.

It is aimed at illuminating the urban and rural settlements with solar-powered lights and saving consumption of electricity to reduce the burden of load-shedding.”