The government Sunday launched
community-based solar street light programme with an aim to cover about 700
kilometer of road with solar powered light.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
for Federal Affairs and Local Development Kamal Thapa unveiled the programme in
a programme organized at the Ministry in Singhadurbar.
The programme was endorsed by
the cabinet on 22nd January.
The Rs. 1.42 billion project
will install about 10,000 solar lights with battery backup in various metro and
sub-metro cities, and municipalities.
DPM Thapa presented the
programme as a remedy to the energy crisis which will ultimately save around 6
megawatt of electricity that is being used to light up the street lamps across
the country.
The programme aims at installing
the solar light at the local level with people’s participation. “It’s a
partnership among the government, local bodies and people,” said Thapa.
As per the programme, government
will contribute 60 per cent of the total cost to install solar street lights in
the metropolitan city while the city and community need to contribute 25 per
cent and 15 per cent respectively.
In case of sub metropolitan
cities, the share of government, city and community will be 65, 20 and 15 per
cent respectively.
In municipalities, government’s
share will be 70 per cent whereas the local government and community will each
chip in about 15 per cent.
“We make an appeal to the people
to participate in this programme. The government has allocated Rs. 1 billion
for this programme in this fiscal and Rs. 420 million will be contributed by
the local government and communities,” informed DPM Thapa.
He said that if the demand was
high, the government might increase the fund for this programme.
Joint secretary at the Ministry
of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD), Gopi Krishna Khanal, said
that the new programme was aimed at making the night life easier in the cities
and reduce load-shedding.
He hinted that there could be
private-public-partnership if any private companies were ready to assist to
install the light as per their corporate social responsibility.
The local bodies can install the
light at public places where community participation is not possible with 70
per cent government and 30 per cent their own contribution.
To coordinate, facilitate and
guide the programme, a Minister of State at MoFALD-led central programme
coordination committee has been formed which also include secretary of the
Ministry and joint secretaries of the National Planning Commission, Ministry of
Finance, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Science and Technology,
Ministry of Population and Environment and MoFALD and chief of Alternative
Energy Promotion Centre, Nepal Electricity Authority, Department of Roads and
Renewable Energy Test Station.
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