Bhubaneswar, Jan. 8: The sun will shortly direct traffic in the state capital and Cuttack.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) proposes to install solar-powered wireless traffic signals at various traffic intersections in the city.

Sources in the corporation said an Andhra Pradesh-based private firm had approached the civic body for installation of solar traffic signalling systems in the city and the civic body had sent the proposal to the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar traffic heads for further action.

“We have sent the proposal to the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar traffic to assess the viability of such a project in the city,” said a senior corporation official.

The new wireless road traffic signal system has some advance features that eliminate cabling between all poles and road trenching at a junction.

They are also easy to relocate as each pole uses solar power and wireless communication for lamp controls. The new system has also the feature of red, yellow and green arrow signals arranged in a single retrofit.

Sources in the traffic police said the solar traffic signals used to be operation in the city a decade ago.

“But all the traffic signal poles that are functioning in the city at present are operated by electricity. If the new system proves efficient during cloudy weather, we will definitely approve it,” said a senior police official of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar traffic.

At present, around 20 traffic signal poles are operational in the city. A private organisation erects the poles and pays the electricity bills, and generates revenue through display of advertisements on the poles.

In September last year, the state housing and urban development department had proposed an amendment in building bylaws to promote solar energy. The state science and technology department along with the urban department has also decided to request the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police to install solar traffic signalling systems at five locations each in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipal areas.

BMC along with the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (Oreda) had proposed to introduce solar streetlights on two major stretches of the city. In the first phase, two stretches between OUAT Square-Delta Square and AG Square-Acharya Vihar Square had been identified on a pilot basis.

All these measures are part of the “solar city project” funded by the Union ministry of new and renewable energy. The ministry has proposed 60 cities, including Bhubaneswar, for the project, which is aimed at 10 per cent reduction of conventional energy sources. Oreda, the nodal authority of the project in the state, has been entrusted with the job of preparing a detailed project report.