Bangalore, India: Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Bangalore, India, plans to use GIS to watch over the functioning of nearly 3.5 lakh street lights under its 800 sq kilometres limits. For this, the Palike would have control units at each of its eight zonal offices that would check lights in at least three to four stretches. It also hopes to employ it to track flaws in the network.
The BBMP claims the GIS, coupled with another technology, could also help save energy. Despite Palike’s high hopes, the system has not yet been tested on the ground. “No trial run has been conducted and the system is still not implemented anywhere in the Country,” said am official of BBMP.
A legal tussle over a Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) tender is delaying the implementation of the system. The Karnataka High Court is hearing the case over the BBMP tender. The court, in its latest hearing, has asked the petitioners to come back after State Government implements the system.
As of now, the maintenance of street lights has been broken up into short modules, each one comprising two to three roads. The work has been entrusted to about 35 contractors by the BBMP, who feel offended the way BBMP has handled the tendering process. The period has now been extended to 12 years, a Palike official said. “Small-time contractors are scared, with the GIS system in place, they will be unable to compete with the more-affluent contractors who are the only ones likely to bid for the tenders.”
Source: Deccan Herald
