Delhi government to replace 96,000 streetlights with ‘smart’ LED lights: CM

To improve women safety on capital roads and reduce accidents, the Delhi government plans to replace 96,000 old streetlights with new “smart” LED lights, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.

Gupta, who held a virtual meeting with Public Works Department (PWD) officials, said the new streetlights would be equipped with an advanced feature that would enable their real-time monitoring.

“Under the project, all High Pressure Sodium Vapour (HPSV) lights and old LED lights will be replaced with smart LED lights. At present, around 45,000 old HPSV lights and 51,000 HPSV LED lights are installed on PWD roads. There are around 96,000 lights in total,” the chief minister said.

The Delhi government targets to refurbish the city streetlights by Diwali, at a total cost of Rs 473 crore. After implementation of the LED system, around Rs 25 crore worth of electricity will be saved every year, she said.

Gupta further said several serious issues exist in the current system, with dark spots at many locations for long periods.

“Since there was no facility for real-time monitoring of streetlights, information about faulty lights was received only after complaints were made,” she added.

Insufficient lighting on roads affected road safety as well as women’s safety. In addition, different types of lights resulted in uneven lighting, higher electricity consumption and light pollution, the chief minister said.

She said the new smart LED system would provide a comprehensive solution to these issues.

“The biggest feature of the new system will be its centralised command and control centre. Through this, every streetlight can be monitored in real time. Any malfunctioning light will be identified immediately, and they can also be controlled remotely,” Gupta said.

“The system will also have the capability to increase or decrease brightness levels by up to 90 per cent as required. This will help in better management along with electricity savings,” she added.

In view of future requirements and for any uncovered location, provisions have also been made for installing 5,000 additional light poles.

Over a five-year period, there will be a major reduction in electricity expenditure compared to the current system, Gupta added.