In an attempt to cut down on "soaring" electricity bills, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decided to use green and energy-efficient techniques to reduce power consumption by almost 35 per cent.

The AMC has decided to construct all its new projects as green buildings, convert its main energy consuming establishment to solar powered one and change all the city street lights from high pressure sodium vapour lamps to energy efficient LED lights.

"During this financial year, the AMC has paid a total of Rs 149.11 crore towards the electricity bill, the expenditure of which comes to around five per cent of our total budget," Municipal Commissioner Guruprasad Mahapatra said.

The limits of the city which has been spreading far and wide due to rapid industrialisation in Gujarat were recently increased and the AMC now has 464.16 sq kms area under it with a population of 45 lakhs.

"It's a challenge for management of any city of India to control high energy consumption and we have decided to take it up. If we are able to contain the consumption at a present level then also it would be an achievement," he said.

"The energy consumption expenses of the AMC are soaring every year. Such high expenses are due to street lights provided to the entire city, drinking water distribution for such a large population and drainage networks. Hence we have decided to form a special Energy Savings and Conservation cell in the AMC which will find out ways and means to save energy consumption to reduce expenses," he said.

"We have decided that all our new buildings that are to come up from now on, will be designed as green buildings. We have made this a condition for construction of our health centres and school buildings that we are going to undertake in next year," Mahapatra said.

"Green buildings will save a lot of energy," he asserted.

"We have also decided that non-conventional energy like solar power should be used to its maximum potential. Our upcoming ultra-modern sports complex in Memco area of the city will totally be solar powered," Mahapatra said.

"After its success, we are going to convert our two major establishments -Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel cricket stadium and AMC main office in Danapith- to solar powered buildings," he said.

"In the coming financial year we plan to change all the street lights of the city's western zone and new western zone to LED lights from the present one at a cost of Rs five crore.

Later we will take up other zones," he added.

"We are also planning to change old water and drainage pumps with new energy efficient pumps which will also save a lot of energy," he said.

The Municipal Commissioner hoped that they will be able to reduce energy consumption by 35 per cent due to these initiatives.