The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, on Saturday, imposed a ban on lit hoardings, asking advertising agencies not to illuminate hoardings until further instructions.
According to GHMC commissioner M T Krishna Babu, the measure has been initiated to minimize power consumption, in view of the present power crisis in the state. He said that the violation of the above instruction would be viewed seriously, and action would be initiated against the violators.
There are around 3,300 hoardings in GHMC, and, of them, nearly 40% are lit boards and kiosks.
The GHMC commissioner also said that except for four to five stretches, all lollipops (advertising boards placed on medians) have been removed, following the court's directions.
He said that he had instructed the maintenance staff of the GHMC's electrical wing to switch on streetlights after 7pm and switch them off before 5am. This can save power consumption for 2-3 hours a day, he said.
The GHMC currently utilizes 20 million units of electricity per month for the maintenance of streetlights, water supply to peripheral areas and other purposes. The GHMC now plans to conserve 20?25% of its electricity use, which is about 5 million units per month, if all its measures are fruitful.
The commissioner said that he has directed the officers concerned to conserve power in their offices; ading that he feels it would be useful if the same power were to be utilized in sectors like agriculture and the domestic sector.
He also said that the GHMC is planning to replace all electrical equipment with LED and CFL lamps. According to him, it has been decided to use LED lighting for streetlights on all important roads, but that the implementation has been getting delayed because of court cases. (INN)