Govt to use EMI-based payment model for streetlight upgrade in a first: PWD Minister

In a first, the Delhi Government will implement an EMI-based payment model for a major streetlight modernisation project, PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Tuesday.

The city Government’s push to convert around 93,000 streetlights on main roads will cut its electricity consumption and save around Rs 300 crore in five years.

“For the first time, we will be giving a project, which will have the EMI model of payments, monthly, based on the performance report of the streetlights. This is being done specifically to ensure proper functioning and management of new smart streetlights,” Singh said.

The project, estimated to cost around Rs 473.24 crore, will be implemented in phases on roads maintained by the PWD.

“Under the project, all HPSV lights and older LED fixtures will be replaced with smart LEDs. Provision has also been made for installing 5,000 additional poles to cover future requirements and currently-unlit stretches,” Singh said.

A control-and-command centre will be set up to monitor the status of all the streetlights in real time. The project also envisages dimmable and individually-controlled streetlights, so that real-time adaptation and control in accordance with weather conditions could be achieved, Singh added.

According to the project details, the command centre will be set up at the MSO building, the PWD headquarters, with two 75-inch-display computers and related software. The contractor will have to ensure proper functioning of lights to get payment.

The tender for the project has been issued and the work will be awarded to the contractor within a fortnight.

The finance department’s observations on the project show that over five years, the reduction in power expenditure is expected to be significant compared to the current arrangement.

At present, the department maintains around 1,400 kilometres of road network in the national Capital.