Bengaluru to shine bright with LED streetlights, Karnataka cabinet okays ₹684 crore project: Report

Bengaluru is set to brighten up its streets with a major shift to energy-saving LED lights, following a cabinet-approved plan.

Published on: Aug 27, 2024, 19:00:04 IST

By Yamini C S

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In a move to enhance energy efficiency and reduce maintenance costs, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is Bengaluru's civic administrative body, has proposed a significant upgrade to the city's streetlighting system.

The upgrade will replace around 3 lakh old streetlights, promising a 50% reduction in power use and seven years of maintenance. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

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On August 22, the state cabinet approved a plan to transition to LED streetlights under a comprehensive annual energy-saving model. The new system will feature centralized control and monitoring, accompanied by seven years of maintenance, The Indian Express reported.

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Karnataka Law Minister H. K. Patil announced that the initiative will be rolled out in four distinct packages across seven city zones. To finance this upgrade, the cabinet has authorized the use of funds previously deposited with the Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom).

This strategy mirrors successful models adopted by other urban areas in Karnataka, where sodium-vapour streetlights have been replaced with LED alternatives to cut power consumption. The shift to LED technology is projected to reduce annual energy use by up to 50 per cent compared to the older systems, the report noted.

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Currently, the BBMP has already installed approximately 1.6 lakh LED streetlights in some zones, including Mahadevapura. With nearly 4.6 lakh streetlights spread across the seven zones, the upcoming project aims to replace around 3 lakh of these with new LED fixtures, it added. This initiative is expected to significantly decrease the city’s electricity consumption and lower operational costs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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