Women’s safety, Rs 100-cr savings in focus, Delhi to install 1L smart street lights

With an aim to cover dark spots, improve women’s safety in the Capital and reduce energy consumption, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched a project to install one lakh smart LED street lights across the city under the government's Seva Sankalp Abhiyan to mark 25 years of public service by PM Narendra Modi.

The project follows concerns raised by women students during Gupta’s recent interaction at Delhi University, where they highlighted inadequate street lighting and dark spots in several parts of the city. Under the initiative, which has been initiated from Andrews Ganj bus stop in South Delhi, around one lakh street lights will be replaced with smart LED lights, including approximately 45,000 high-pressure sodium vapour lamps.

The system will feature smart feeder pillars and individual monitoring to improve efficiency and maintenance. The Public Works Department (PWD) will monitor the lights through a central command centre, which will receive real-time information on their operational status.

The project targets 99% functionality, with faulty lights required to be repaired within 48 hours of a complaint. Agencies failing to meet the deadline will face a penalty of Rs 2,000 per light per day. Each light will carry a QR code that citizens can scan to access information and register complaints.