The UT engineering department has initiated a pilot project to convert streetlights under its jurisdiction to smart streetlights.
Confirming the development, the department’s electrical wing superintending engineer, Ranjit Singh, said, “Under the project, initially only around 25 streetlights will be converted into sensor-based intelligent streetlight system. If the system is found performing satisfactorily, we will extend it to all the streetlights under the department.”
The pilot project will be implemented in the Chandigarh IT Park, Manimajra. A tender inviting work for the ₹4.7-crore project has already been floated.
The project comprises installing smart technology messenger software to monitor the functioning of streetlights. “The system is intended to save on power wastage and better manpower utilisation. The system automatically alerts a junior engineer through a text message if a single streetlight stops working,” said a senior department official who didn’t want to be named.
“In normal practice, the entire lane of streetlights is switched off to check and rectify a problem. But under the new system, the staff can directly know where the fault lies, and need not switch off the entire lane. The performance of other parameters like automatic dimming of lights, and turning on and off as per the light conditions will also be tested,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}“In normal practice, the entire lane of streetlights is switched off to check and rectify a problem. But under the new system, the staff can directly know where the fault lies, and need not switch off the entire lane. The performance of other parameters like automatic dimming of lights, and turning on and off as per the light conditions will also be tested,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}Significantly, most of the streetlights in the city are under the purview of the municipal corporation (MC).
“But, in a few areas, such as the IT Park, streetlights are still being operated by the UT. Streetlights in the area around the railway station are also under it. These stretches are important for the city from tourism and business point of view,” the official said.
The official said, “The MC has also initiated the process of converting ordinary streetlights into smart lights under the Smart City project. But unlike the MC, which is going in for conversion of a sizeable number of streetlights under its jurisdiction, the UT engineering department intends to first test the workability of the concept. If it is successful, only then the department will extend it to all the streetlights under its jurisdiction.”
“Moreover, the MC hasn’t been able to attract private players to the project, so we are first testing the response from the market before inviting bidders for entire stretches,” said the official.