CM Revanth orders review of LED streetlight plans, explores solar option to cut power bills

Hyderabad: The challenges and shortcomings in the installation, operations and maintenance of LED streetlights, exploring options of solar power to control the rising electricity bills were discussed in detail by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy along with the officials of the government department.

Key directives

The Chief Minister issued the following key directives to the concerned departments:

Decentralisation of responsibility: The primary responsibility for the installation and maintenance of streetlights in all villages is to be handed over to the respective Sarpanches. The gram panchayats will have the full authority to install new lights and manage their upkeep efficiently.

Comprehensive survey: A meticulous per pole survey must be conducted by the Panchayat Raj department to accurately assess the functionality of existing LED lights and determine the requirement for new installations.

Centralised Monitoring: All LED streetlights in the State, including those in the GHMC area, are to be integrated with the Command Control Centre in Hyderabad. This centralised system will facilitate real-time monitoring.

Tiered supervision: The LED dashboard for all villages will be overseen by the mandal level, with the additional collector being assigned responsibility at the district level. This tiered approach is intended to ensure effective supervision and prevent misuse.

New tender process: As the contracts with the previous agencies have expired, officials are directed to issue fresh tenders for the installation and maintenance of new LED lights. Reputable companies known for LED manufacturing should be invited to participate, with the condition that they will be responsible for maintenance for a period of seven years.

Third-party audit and technology: The CM suggested engaging an external agency, such as IIT Hyderabad, to conduct a third-party audit of the system to ensure the lights are functioning properly. He also recommended the installation of control boxes to continuously monitor the status of the lights and identify problem areas.

Current status and challenges

Officials provided the following information during the meeting:

Village Lights: There are currently 16.16 lakh LED lights across all villages in the state.

GHMC Area: The GHMC has 5.50 lakh LED lights. An additional 2 lakh lights would be needed to cover the core urban areas within the Outer Ring Road.

Maintenance Issues: The expiration of previous contracts has led to poor maintenance and a large number of non-functional lights.

Electricity Consumption: The GHMC’s monthly electricity bill for streetlights is approximately Rs 8 crore. The CM has directed an exploration of solar power as a potential solution to reduce this cost.