Bhubaneswar, May 8: The municipal corporation and the tourism department have decided to install energy-efficient LED street lights on three more stretches of the city in the next four months.

The stretches between Fire Station Square to Airport Square (6km), City Women's College to Gandamunda (5km) and Airport Square to Nandankanan (18km) will be lit up by LED lights. While the tourism department will bear the cost of the installation, the civic body's electrical wing will take care of the groundwork.

Sources said a total of around 600 LED lights would be installed as part of the project.

"We have installed the LED bulbs on some parts of the selected stretches, but the entire stretches are yet to be covered by the energy-efficient lights. We have now decided to replace the old mercury bulbs with LED ones on the full length of the selected stretches. It would save a lot of energy and also make the city skyline look good," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The civic body had decided to take up the project in the previous corporation meeting held in April.

Tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda, who had attended the meeting, has proposed to fund the project since many tourists use the selected stretches and Panda himself is the local legislator.

The civic body had initiated the process of installing the energy efficient LED bulbs in August 2014 and till September 2015, it has completed installation of 20,000 LEDs on main stretches of the city including Janpath, Gandhi Marg, Rajmahal and Sishu Bhavan Square and Acharya Vihar and CS Pur Square and a few others. In the second phase, the authorities install another 15,000 LED lights in May last year and covered interior lanes of Sailshree Vihar, Niladri Vihar, Kanan Vihar, Rasulgarh and some other areas. Considering the demand of the citizens, the civic body this time included the stretch of Nandankanan from Nandan Vihar.

"LEDs not only save energy but are also good for the environment," said Patia resident Jagannath Patra.