The Hindu               17.08.2013

Automatic streetlights to debut on city roads next week

Starting next week, streetlights on city roads will switch on and off automatically, at the right time — a technology that the civic body plans to adopt if found effective.

Taking another step towards automated street lighting, the civic body will conduct a pilot study over 10 days.

Seven companies including those from Japan will commission automated streetlight monitoring systems across the city.

The Chennai Corporation will study each of the models and identify a suitable technology that can be put in place for automated control of streetlights.

The seven companies submitted proposals after the Corporation called for an expression of interest of the pilot study in May. Eight neighbourhoods in areas such as Nungambakkam, T. Nagar and Velachery will get a range of automated systems next week.

The system, once implemented, will facilitate updating of data on functioning of streetlights and immediate remedial action towards restoration of lights that fail to switch on. The civic body maintains 2.13 lakh streetlights, of which over 3 per cent are ‘not functioning’.

As many as 4,569 individual streetlight fittings in locations including Chintadripet, Ashok Nagar, Velachery and Adyar have already been identified for the pilot project.

The Corporation will receive 1.1 lakh LED fittings to replace old streetlights in eight zones next month. The civic body has opted for LED lights as they last five times longer than sodium vapour lamps.

The initiative is expected to bring down energy consumption to one-third of existing levels. The streetlights will be centrally monitored through a web page in real time after the system is implemented this year. The system will facilitate quick action to restore defects in streetlights.

The Hindu                 03.05.2013

Objection to collecting parking fee

An effort of the civic administration to ease problems on the parking front ran into rough weather here on Thursday.

Since indiscriminate and haphazard parking by a sizeable section of the local community, particularly traders, had been identified as the main cause for the aggravation of parking-related problems in crowded and busy parts of the town, the municipality had decided to collect parking fees in order to prevent such vehicles from being parked for hours together.

A resolution to this effect had also been passed at the last meeting of the Udhagamandalam Municipal Council.

Since it had taken some time to complete the formalities relating to tender, municipal officials themselves had started collecting parking fees from May 1 on the Upper Bazaar, Lower Bazaar, Commercial, Wenlock, Etienne’s and Onslows roads.

On Thursday some drivers including those driving lorries refused to pay fees for their vehicles parked on the Upper Bazaar road. They got into an argument with N. Nandhakumar, Assistant Revenue Officer who had gone to the spot. Mr. Nandhakumar said that the majority of the traders were extending their cooperation.

The fee collection had been mooted mainly to curb the practice of occupying precious parking space for hours together, often 12 hours and more. Condemned vehicles were being parked for months together.

A sum of Rs. 10 a day was being collected for two-wheeler, Rs. 50 for four-wheelers, Rs. 100 for vans and mini buses. The municipality would not hesitate to tow away vehicles for which parking fees have not been paid.

Owing to lack of parking space near the market, tourists were forced to park their vehicles far away. This affects the business of the merchants inside the market.