Port Louis mulling 'green' lighting

The Municipality of Port Louis is considering the possibility of equipping each of its 9,360 street lamps with photovoltaic cells in order to tap solar energy for street lighting. Municipal Councillor Bashir Nazeer and another municipal officer are studying the viability of the project which would turn Port Louis into an eco-friendly city.

“The lord mayor has already given the green light to study the implications of this ecological project,” said Mr Nazeer. “We have to see how to install solar panels on all our street lamps.” The project will entail international expertise and funding, and Mr Nazeer says he is already in contact with a Paris-based organisation working under the aegis of the United Nations.

“We want to turn Port Louis into a green city. Every year, we spend Rs30 million on street lighting, even though we are using energy-saving lamps,” he said. “We are planning to install solar panels on the municipality building, several municipal centres, and at the two swimming pools in Plaine Verte and Les Salines.”

The cost of the project will be known in about a month. The municipality is even envisaging a “green loan” from commercial banks in order to implement the project.