The national capital is set for a major lighting overhaul, with the Delhi government approving an ambitious plan to replace nearly 96,000 street lights with advanced smart LED systems across the city.
The Rekha Gupta government aims to ensure that the entire city is brightly illuminated before Diwali this year.
The estimated cost of replacing the streetlights and upgrading them to smart LED systems is around Rs 473 crore.
The decision was taken on Wednesday during a meeting of the Expenditure Finance Committee chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. Notably, the meeting was held in a hybrid mode.
“The government aims to ensure that the entire city of Delhi is brightly illuminated by Diwali,” Gupta said.
The project will be implemented in phases on roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD), with completion targeted before the festival season.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma and senior officials from the concerned departments also attended the meeting.
The initiative is part of the announcement made by the Chief Minister in the 2026–27 Budget, in which she had proposed replacing conventional street lighting with energy-efficient systems.
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 comprises nearly 96,000 lights and 51,160 poles. Explaining the need for the project, the Chief Minister said the existing system suffered from several shortcomings.
Since there is no real-time monitoring mechanism, faulty street lights are often identified only after complaints are received. In many areas, dark spots remain unattended for long periods, affecting road visibility and public safety, particularly women’s safety.
Provision has also been made for installing 5,000 additional poles to meet future requirements and illuminate currently dark stretches.
One of the key features of the project will be a centralized Command and Control Centre (CCC), which will enable real-time monitoring of every street light.
Under the system, faults will be detected instantly and lights can also be remotely operated.
The technology will allow lighting intensity to be increased or reduced by up to 90 per cent, depending on requirements, thereby improving energy efficiency and operational management.
Parvesh Verma suggested that the project should be given a special name, considering its importance to the Delhi government, and the Chief Minister agreed with the proposal.