Mumbai’s Marine Drive to get a glow-up with installation of LED lights for safety, ambience
Pegged to cost nearly Rs 17 lakh, the project by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation seeks to put up LED fixtures under trees along the promenade.
While the entire stretch constructed in 1915, with its 20-foot high wall bordering the sea, is nearly 3 km long, the lights will not be deployed along the full length. (File Photo/Nandagopal Rajan) Catering to the large daily footfall at Marine Drive, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to enhance illumination along the iconic promenade. Over the next month, the civic body is set to put up 110 LED light fixtures along the stretch from the Air India building on one end to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) building on the other.
Marine Drive is easily the most popular waterfront in the city which not only caters to local residents on a morning stroll but also to thousands of tourists and visitors from the suburbs who come here to enjoy a breezy evening.
While the stretch along the promenade is already lined with street lights, civic officials concurred that they are insufficient. During special events such as cricket matches at the Wankhede stadium which brings in much larger crowds, the BMC is pressed to install temporary lights along the stretch for public safety.
“Being a popular destination, a large number of people arrive here daily and the promenade tends to be very crowded. While we presently install extra lights during special events like cricket matches, we are now set to install permanent LED fixtures underneath the trees next to the promenade. The objective is to improve public convenience and enhance safety,” a senior BMC official told The Indian Express.
Pegged to cost nearly Rs 17 lakh, the project seeks to install LED fixtures under 55 trees along the promenade. “These LED fixtures of 30-40 watts look attractive and will also improve the overall experience for visitors,” the official added.
While the entire stretch constructed in 1915, with its 20-foot high wall bordering the sea, is nearly 3 km long, the lights will not be deployed along the full length.
The civic body is currently developing a similar 7.5-km promenade between Breach Candy and Worli. A part of the 70-hectare open space earmarked under the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP), the promenade will have trees, a cycle track and will offer a new space where citizens can stroll and unwind. With the civic body currently executing the final leg of works such as concreting, installation of paver blocks and so on, the promenade is likely to be opened by March this year.
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