World’s largest ever streetlight replacement programme completed, claims SDMC

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Wednesday claimed to have completed one of the world’s largest ever LED replacement programme in a short span. 

The Corporation said that it was hell bent to achieve the target of more than 50 per cent savings in expenditure on street lighting by the local bodies as mandated under the Street Lighting National Programme launched by the Centre. 

P K Goel, Commissioner SDMC, stated that the civic body is committed to achieve energy savings up to 53.61 per cent as it has been successful in achieving an annual energy savings of 5 crore 58 lakh units.

According to the report, a tripartite agreement was signed between the South Corporation, BSES and EESL (Energy Efficient Services Ltd) in January last year for replacement of 1.98 lakh conventional streetlights with energy efficient LED streetlights in 104 Wards of SDMC after the successful implementation of a pilot project initiated in December 2014 for the replacement of around 1,200 lights in Malviya Nagar Ward. 

Though similar pilot projects were also initiated by the North and the East Municipal Corporations, only SDMC decided to implement it on a fast track basis to replace two lakh conventional streetlights with energy efficient LED lights in a time-bound manner.

As per the agreement, the contract period of seven years under the project amounting to Rs 173 crore was decided with an aim to generate benefit of Rs 310 crore to SDMC over the contract period, ie Rs 44.38 crore per year on energy consumption. 

Further, the SDMC is saving an amount of Rs 1.36 crore per month on maintenance of the LED lights as the present maintenance at one point has come down from Rs 96 to Rs 28. The figure will be Rs 16.32 crore per annum and Rs 114.24 crore over the contract period. 

The total savings on maintenance and consumption of power will be Rs 425 crore over the contract period. However, the SDMC will have to release an amount of Rs 45.60 crore per annum to the EESL as an annuity.