In its bid to secure women across the national Capital especially during the night hours, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Monday started the installation of street lights in Lodhi Colony area. The eradication of dark spot scheme was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and PWD minister Satyendar Jain. Covering dark spots and ensuring adequate lighting during nights has been one of the poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government.
The PWD has recently floated tender for installing 1,150 street lights in the South Delhi area in Phase I under Mukhyamantri Street Light Yojana. The Chief Minister said that, by end of
January about 50,000 to 60,000 LED street lights will be installed.
According to a safety audit done by a non-governemntal organization (NGO) SafetyPin, currently there are 7,438 darks spots across the National Capital. The NGO, submitted its report to the government in the year 2016.
“We have worked on lighting these dark spots in the last three years, and the number of dark spots which were identified in a subsequent safety audit carried out by SafetiPin over January to May 2019 was 2,768. The dark spots in a period of two years were reduced by 4,670 i.e. 63 per cent, said Kejriwal while announcing about the development.
He also claimed that the delay in installing street lights was due to the careless attitude of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). “The biggest problem we faced in eliminating the dark spots is the lack of consent/approval from MCDs in installing poles and streetlights on their streets. This innovative scheme bypasses the role of the MCD and provides a direct solution to people’s problems of dark spots.”
“Every MLA is coordinating with the people of their constituencies and the remaining dark spots will be eliminated soon. We are also asking citizens to submit suggestions for streetlights to their MLAs - just like we did with CCTVs. We encourage all the people of Delhi to participate in identifying locations that need better lighting. Women’s safety is our priority and we will install as many street lights and use as many resources as possible to ensure the security of women in the city”, the Chief Minister added.
The smart LED street lights will be automatic and will be remotely monitored and controlled through cloud based server suitable for all weather conditions. According to the officials, each LED street light will have individual embedded communication node and controller interface with luminaries.
The luminaries will have the facilities of plug and play installations. With having two way communications facilities the lights will be automatic, for instance it will have a sensor which will automatically turn on
when it is dark and will stop when the sun rises in the morning. The streets lights will have upgraded facilities such as alert and alarm notifications.
“Each street light will be equipped with alarm management. In case any fault will occur and the light will not function, the information will be automatically sent to the field staff/agency. Further, it will be a complete smart system function all time and will not be out of order for more than 48 hours. The communication node will have self protection from short circuit and over voltage,” said the official.
Officials further added that the system will have real time and seven days data backup facility such as time of On/Off data, power consumption data and Fault/operation duration data. The web hosting /operation management with software access with API for 7 years shall be provided. The software of the controller will have HTTP access and each light will be controlled individually via the Software, said the official.
“In the commercial areas and main roads, street lights will be installed on poles. Apart from the residential buildings, street lights will be installed in commercial buildings, where poles can’t be erected in the congested areas in the city. This is a standard practice in many western countries,” said Jain.