Hence new guidelines were laid down for the use of solar energy lamps.“Solar energy has proved to be much more costlier than regular electricity.Civic officials have said that due to the expensive and costly nature of solar energy lamps, the civic body has decided to use them only when it is necessary in the city area. “According to the civic rules, the municipal corporation provides streetlight facility on roads that have are 10 feet in width.According to civic officials, the installation of solar energy lamps in slums has been found technically and financially unviable. Civic officials say the installation charges of a solar lamp are three times higher than that of a normal electricity lamp.

Due to thefts and damage to solar energy units by local residents, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to not to set up China insulation boards Suppliers solar energy streetlights in slum areas. However, slum dwellers have been deprived of this facility, as slum lanes are smaller than this. It was also found that in slums there were difficulties in sunlight reaching the panels of solar energy units due to the ceilings of surroundings hutments, making them ineffective. So thefts of batteries and damage to their units causes a huge loss to the civic body,” said an official.

The demand to install solar energy based lamps on the narrow slum lanes was made by Congress corporator Ram Ashish Gupta. According to it, the solar energy lamps would be allowed through a corporator’s funds only where the electric supply from power companies is not available and on forest land where trenches are not allowed,” said a senior civic official. The solar energy lamps previously installed in slums have been shut down due to various reasons, mostly damage caused by the local residents, who have also stolen batteries in these units.Due to thefts and damage to solar energy units by local residents, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to not to set up solar energy streetlights in slum areas. Due to this, women and elders living in slums are facing lot of difficulties, especially during the night time,” he said..The circular issued by the chief accountant (finance) a few years ago had said that solar-powered lamps should not be used in areas that are connected through a power grid, as they are high on maintenance and installation