New Delhi: Delhi government’s expenditure finance committee (EFC) on Wednesday approved the project for upgradation of 90,000 streetlights into smart LED lights under a ₹473 crore project, paving the way for the overhaul of the streetlight network along the arterial roads of the Capital.
The decision was taken during a hybrid meeting of the EFC, chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta. The project will be implemented in phases on 1400km of roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD).
Gupta said the existing system had several shortcomings. “Since there was no real-time monitoring mechanism, faulty streetlights were often identified only after complaints were received. In many areas, dark spots remained unattended for long periods, affecting road visibility and safety, particularly women’s safety. It also suffered from uneven lighting and high power consumption,” she said, adding that the new smart LED system would address these issues comprehensively.
Gupta said the project would also deliver substantial long-term financial savings. “Once the smart LED system is fully operational, the government expects annual electricity savings of nearly ₹25 crore. Over a five-year period, the reduction in power expenditure is expected to be significant compared to the current arrangement.”
Under the project, all high-pressure sodium lights and older LED fixtures will be replaced with smart LEDs. Provision has also been made to install 5,000 additional poles to meet future requirements and cover unlit stretches.
The project is part of the 2026-27 budget, which had proposed replacing conventional streetlights with energy-efficient smart LED systems.
A government official said that at present, PWD roads have nearly 45,000 old High Pressure Sodium Vapour (HPSV) lights and around 51,000 HPSV LED lights. Altogether, the network includes close to 96,000 lights and 51,160 poles. “One of the key features of the project will be a centralised command and control centre, which will enable real-time monitoring of every streetlight. Faults will be detected instantly, and lights can also be remotely operated. The system will additionally allow lighting intensity to be increased or reduced by up to 90%, depending on requirement, improving both energy efficiency and operational management,” the official added.
During the meeting, PWD minister Parvesh Verma suggested that the project should be given a special name, considering its importance, with the chief Minister agreeing to the proposal, the CMO said in a statement. A name has not yet been announced.
