India ministry looks to replace floodlights with LEDs along Indo-Pak border

Initiative supports Indian Prime Minister Modi's pitch for installing energy-efficient LED bulbs


Web Desk March 05, 2015
Initiative supports Indian PM's pitch for installing energy-efficient LED bulbs. PHOTO COURTESY: MARSHALTUFFLEXENERGY

NEW DEHLI: The Indian home ministry announced on Tuesday that it will launch a project to replace floodlights with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the 14-kilometre stretch of Pakistan-India international border in Punjab, The Economic Times reported. 

Supporting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for installing energy-efficient LED bulbs, country's Home Minister Rajnath Singh decided to take this initiative.

The progress of this project was discussed at a meeting of senior officers chaired by home secretary LC Goyal on February 27.

A senior official said the ministry's border management division has been asked to complete the pilot project of 14 km at the earliest and bids have already been invited.

The stretch of border in Jammu sector has seen a series of skirmishes and firing incidents between forces of Pakistan and India over the past few months.

Floodlights run up a huge electricity bill while diesel generators are also deployed along the border as back-up. "Almost 2,000 km of international border in J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat is floodlit," an official said.

LED bulbs are said to have a long life, nearly 50 times that of ordinary bulbs, and consume a fraction of the energy.

"The cost of replacing the entire floodlights with LED bulbs would hence be compensated through energy and longevity savings. Plus, LED is the latest lighting technique and much better for surveillance on the border," an Indian home ministry official said.

In January, the Indian Prime Minister Modi had launched a National Programme for LED-based Home and Street Lighting, fixing a deadline of March 2016 for installing LED bulbs for domestic and street-lighting in 100 cities.

He had also symbolically replaced one bulb in South Block with an LED bulb on the occasion, in an effort to emphasise on aim to conserve energy.

The PM had then also called for extensive involvement of celebrities and eminent citizens in motivating people to adopt LED bulbs, which he had described as a 'prakash path'.

COMMENTS (2)

jagmohan | 9 years ago | Reply @Anon......your suggestion is good and rational.Let both countries be happy with what they have, desire to have more creates tension.Persistent tension leads to so many other tensions that society is ultimate loser in all respects.Peace is the only solution.
Anoni | 9 years ago | Reply Better spend this money on reducing tension.. That would be the right move ..
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