In a move to bolster women’s security, the Kejriwal Government has decided to install smart street lights all over Delhi to eliminate dark spots. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday granted in principle approval to the Smart Street Light Policy. Under this policy, the Kejriwal Government will install a staggering 90,953 smart street lights throughout the national Capital, covering a wide range of areas to eliminate dark spots.
This will enhance safety by reducing incidents of crimes against women in poorly-lit areas. This extensive installation will include all Public Works Department (PWD) roads, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the city.
The proposal was presented by Cabinet Minister Atishi before the CM during a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. During the meeting the Public Works Department (PWD) presented the Smart Street Light Scheme to the Chief Minister. PWD officials provided a comprehensive overview of the project, highlighting the outdated technology used in existing street lights, which made it challenging to procure spare parts and led to excessive energy consumption. Consequently, electricity bills soared due to increased usage. Additionally, the manual monitoring of the current street lights made it difficult to address complaints promptly, as real-time monitoring was lacking.
Commenting on the street light policy, Kejriwal stated that the Delhi Government is doing whatever it can in its purview to tighten women’s security. “Smart street lights will play a pivotal role in eliminating dark spots and instilling a sense of safety among our citizens, particularly women, he added.
To ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the smart street lights, the Chief Minister highlighted the implementation of a robust central monitoring system. In the event of any fault or malfunctioning street light, the control room will be promptly alerted, triggering immediate replacement measures. This proactive approach guarantees a swift response and maintenance, ensuring that no dark spots persist in the city. The government has adopted the Energy Service Company (ESCO) model for the Smart Street Light Policy, centralising the control of smart lights. This central control will enable the control room to promptly identify and rectify any faulty lights. Moreover, many lights remain illuminated during the day on various roads, leading to unnecessary electricity wastage. The scheme aims to address this issue and reduce electricity wastage.
Under the Energy Service Company (ESCO) model, the PWD’s electricity bill is expected to be reduced by approximately 50 percent. The savings from reduced electricity bills and maintenance costs will be shared with the concessionaire. Out of the total 90,953 smart LED street lights, 59,572 traditional lights will be replaced with smart LED lights, while 31,381 existing LED lights will be converted into smart street lights. The ESCO agency will bear the maintenance costs for a period of 7 years.
A centralised control monitoring system and individual light monitoring system will be established for effective oversight. The command centre will monitor the operational status, electricity consumption, fault detection, light intensity, historical data logging, Geographic Information System (GIS) integration, and more. The system will also provide information on timers, scheduling, dimming control, and alarm notifications.
