Solar benches light up New Town spots

Kolkata: The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) has installed some Internet-of-Things (IOT)-enabled smart solar benches at three spots beside the New Town mela grounds off the main arterial road in Action Area I.
The solar lights will be illuminated automatically when people sit on the benches. Officials said the solar panel will work as a shed for the bench and the solar power will be generated during the day.
An IOT device that will be placed to link the shed with the bench will act as a sensor. So, the lights will be switched on automatically when someone sits on the bench and the lights will be put off when the person leaves the bench.
“A little bit of work is left to be completed. The smart benches will be made functional within the next two weeks on an experimental basis,” said an official. There will also be a provision for people to get their mobiles charged up with solar power, if necessary. The installation will also collect relevant data about how much solar energy is being generated and consumed each day.