KANCHANPUR: Bhimdattanagar city is now illuminated with solar-powered street lights after Bhimdatta Municipality installed them along the main roads.
The East-West Highway and Mahendranagar Bazaar have brightened significantly following the installation.
Municipal spokesperson Padmaraj Awasthi said the municipality has installed 115 solar street lights on the East-West Highway as part of its campaign to make Bhimdattanagar brighter.
“In the first phase, 115 solar lights were installed from Bhasi to Mahendranagar Bazaar along the highway,” he said. “In the second phase, we plan to extend the installation up to Gaddachauki.”
Awasthi added that the municipality aims to install solar street lights across all 19 wards to transform Bhimdattanagar into a well-lit city. A contract worth Rs 6.974 million was signed for the initial installation of the solar lights.
For the second phase, a contract worth Rs 2.282 million has been signed. Under this phase, 30 solar street lights have been installed between Gaddachauki and Bhujela, the municipality stated. The lights have been set up on both sides of the highway to ensure convenience and safety for citizens.
Mahendranagar Bazaar has been modernized under the Regional Urban Development Project with support from the Asian Development Bank. In the project’s first phase, along with road construction worth Rs 1 billion, ‘high mast lights’ were installed across the city, explained Pawan Lekhak, a sub-engineer at the municipality.
“A total of 776 lights have been installed along the city’s main roads,” he said. “Eight high mast lights alone are in the market area.” He added that electricity poles and telephone wires are being relocated behind the streets to enhance the market’s appearance.
Local residents say the new lighting has made it easier for students to commute to campus in the mornings. “It was difficult to travel on the roads when it was dark, but now it’s much safer and easier,” said Ganesh Bhatta, a local. “The municipality should also focus on maintaining the lights once installed.”
Residents have noted that the street lights have improved nighttime mobility for everyone. They said that the flickering solar lights along the highway have reduced the risk of accidents and made travel safer for both students and vehicles.
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