Indira Park, on the Maidan, slated to be lit by solar power from early next year. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Solar lights will illuminate streets in the city and its suburbs from early next year.

Five municipalities have placed orders for 300 street lights with the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA). Agency director Shantipada Gan Chowdhury said: “With each solar street light costing Rs 35,000, the project will run into crores of rupees.”

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the Bidhannagar, South Dum Dum, Barasat and Shantipur municipalities are part of the trial run. The lights will be installed at Indira Park on the Maidan, Mollar Bheri in Salt Lake, Patipukur, Lake Town and along Jessore Road.

The Shantipur and Barasat municipalities have not finalised the sites.

“The majority of the solar street lights will be manufactured in five private factories in the city and Howrah. Some of the lights will be manufactured by a Bangalore company. We have shortlisted the manufacturers and made sure they conform to our standards. Installation work will begin in January and will, hopefully, be over by March,” said Gan Chowdhury.

According to an official, the Union and state governments and the municipalities will share the cost of installing the lights. “The Centre will grant Rs 36 lakh, the state government and the civic bodies will have to foot the rest of the bill. The model for the lights has been provided by a French company,” added the official.

He explained: “The advantage of solar lights is that they are cost-effective. They will not consume power and their maintenance cost will be negligible.”

State power minister Mrinal Banerjee said the initiative was an effort to make “the future safe for mankind”.

“Fossil fuels are not going to last long and we have to depend on solar energy. If the trial run is a success, we will set solar lights all over the city,” asserted Banerjee.