Delhi To Replace Nearly 1 Lakh Street Lights With Smart LEDs Before Diwali

The Delhi government on Wednesday approved a Rs 473 crore project to replace nearly one lakh street lights with smart LED systems across roads maintained by the Public Works Department (PWD), with the rollout targeted before Diwali.

Officials said around 96,000 street lights across the capital will be upgraded under the plan, including old sodium vapour lamps and ageing LED fixtures that have often drawn complaints over poor visibility and delayed repairs.

The proposal was cleared during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta along with PWD Minister Parvesh Verma 

Why Delhi Is Changing Its Street Lights

A large section of Delhi's street lighting network still uses High Pressure Sodium Vapour (HPSV) lamps, the older yellow-orange lights seen on several arterial roads and flyovers.

Officials said nearly 45,000 such lights will now be replaced with smart LEDs. Another 51,000 older LED fixtures will also be upgraded under the project.

The government is also planning to install around 5,000 additional poles on stretches that currently have poor or no street lighting.

For many commuters, the issue is a familiar one: malfunctioning street lights that stay unrepaired for days and dark patches that affect visibility late at night.

The government admitted the current system largely depends on complaints to identify faulty lights.

"Since there was no real-time monitoring mechanism, faulty street lights were often identified only after complaints were received," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.

"In many areas, dark spots remained unattended for long periods, affecting road visibility and public safety, particularly women's safety," she added.

What Will Change Under The Smart LED System

According to officials, all upgraded street lights will be connected to a centralised Command and Control Centre that can detect faults in real time.

Authorities will also be able to remotely operate the lighting network and adjust brightness levels depending on traffic movement and requirement.

"The system will additionally allow lighting intensity to be increased or reduced by up to 90 per cent depending on requirement," officials said.

The government expects the new lighting system to reduce electricity consumption and maintenance costs, with projected annual power savings of nearly ₹25 crore once the network becomes fully operational.

Push Before Diwali

The government has set a target to complete the rollout before Diwali, when roads, markets and public spaces across Delhi witness heavy evening and night-time movement.

The smart lighting upgrade was announced earlier in the Delhi government's 2026-27 Budget as part of a broader push to modernise public infrastructure and improve energy efficiency across the capital.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)