Solar lights to be installed on Sharea Faisal, Marine Drive and Shahrah-e-Iran: mayor

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) in collaboration with the Competitive and Liveable City of Karachi (CLICK) project will power street lights on three major thoroughfares of Karachi — Sharea Faisal, Marine Drive and Shahrah-e-Iran —through solar energy.

This was announced by Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab while he presided over a high-level meeting held at his office on Monday. He said that regular tenders had been issued for the installation of solar-powered street lights and this project would be completed in collaboration with the World Bank-funded CLICK project. He added that other highways of Karachi would also be gradually lit by solar-powered street lights.

He explained that steps were being taken to convert lights on 106 major highways managed by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to solar systems. He said the government was determined to make Karachi a city of lights once again.

The transfer of street lights onto the solar system would not only help the KMC save millions of rupees but also help keep the city lit, Wahab said, adding that due to electricity load-shedding, many roads remained dark at night, due to which people had to suffer.

He remarked that lights were a major component of road infrastructure, and it was necessary to ensure that the lights remained bright during the night hours. The mayor said the company or organisation that would supply and install street lights would also have the duty to maintain them for the next five years. He said the Pakistan Peoples Party wanted development of Karachi and the local government leadership was trying to provide better facilities to the people of the city.