The road to Pipaldara in Phuentsholing has been installed with LED bulb streetlight. This is the first case of lighting a street with LED bulbs.

Wrapped under a thick teak jungle, Pipaldara road is the most famous stretch for joggers in Phuentsholing.

However, evenings used to be risky, as road users complained of intoxicated people walking along the road. Road users say it improved after the road was installed with lighting.

A housewife, Dorji Lhamo, said she came to enjoy the evening air yesterday. “It feels so clean now,” she said.

She said it was risky to come out when streetlights were not installed.

Shopkeepers are also happy that the streetlights were installed.

A shopkeeper, Shakuntala Rai, who runs a shop in a building beside the road, said the street lighting has benefitted them.

She said she was robbed in 2014 when she was out for a walk. “A man grabbed me from the back and snatched my cell phone,” she said adding that since it was dark, there was nobody who could help. “There were people around but nobody saw the thief,” she said.

Shakuntala Rai said she does not need to switch on the light outside her shop anymore. “The LED streetlight is enough to brighten the space outside my shop,” she said.

Phuentsholing thrompon Uttar Kumar Rai said Nu 1.2 million (M) was spent in procuring and installing 29 LED bulbs.

He explained that LED bulbs are bright compared to the usual streetlights constructed using sodium-vapour light. “LED also penetrates the fog more efficiently,” he said.

The thrompon also said LED bulbs are power efficient and that the thromde intends to replace all existing sodium-vapour lights with it.

Rajesh Rai | Phuentsholing