LED streetlights by December in Mangaluru, says mayor

The drive to convert all conventional streetlights in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) limits into LEDs under Smart City Mission had begun and work will be completed by December, MCC Mayor Premananda Shetty said.

All the streetlights in the 60 wards will be converted into LEDs with a centralised automatic switching point system under the Smart City Mission (SCM) through PPP (public-private partnership) model. It will replace all streetlights, including sodium vapour lamps, tube lights and bulbs, with Smart LEDs.

“A meeting of contractors and ward corporators was organised to ensure smooth completion of work in all wards. We will solve any local issues that the contractor may face while replacing the streetlights,” Shetty said.

MCC Commissioner Akshy Sridhar said the MCC has been paying an average of Rs 1.14 crore for electricity consumed by streetlights every month.

Once Smart LED project is completed, the MCC may save at least 50% of the electricity bill, he said at the meeting. LEDs are energy efficient and consume 60% less electricity than traditional lighting. The private agency will take up maintenance of streetlights for the next seven years after completion. The MCC has 65,870 streetlights, according to a survey conducted by an agency.

So far, 295 streetlights had been converted into Smart LEDs, the Mayor said.

Suresh Rathod of the private firm, engaged to install LED and carry out the streetlights survey, said the survey of streetlights is in its final stage. Out of the total 65,870 street poles, the survey had covered 53,983 street poles.

Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath said the project was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “The contractors have promised to expedite work and complete it within the time frame,” he said. Mangaluru City North MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty said there will be a separate complaint redressal mechanism under the new Smart LED project.

The contract agency will repair the streetlights within 24 hours of receiving complaints. The public can get their grievances related to streetlights redressed at the earliest under the system, the MLA said.