ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has spent Rs21 million on installation of lights on various roads of the capital, a source in the CDA told Dawn on Thursday.

The source said the plan for installation of new lights and repair of damaged ones had been expedited during preparations for the recently-held Saarc Summit.

He said the CDA had made an achievement by installing lights on the route of Pir Sohawa on Margalla Hills. The project has brought a new look to the capital and it has been hailed by people of all walks of life.

As many as 340 poles and lights have been installed on the hills at a cost of Rs7.6 million. Similarly, 342 poles and lights were fixed on the 13km-long road from Karal Chowk to Rawat at a cost of Rs7.6 million. An amount of Rs4.5 million was spent on installation of 288 poles and lights on Islamabad Highway.

The source said the CDA had installed sodium lights (yellow lights) in place of mercury lights on Isfahani Road, Municipal Road, Convention Centre and Blue Area at a cost of Rs0.9 million. The authority spent Rs0.27 million on illumination of government buildings and trees on Jinnah Avenue and Constitution Avenue during Saarc Summit.