The Delhi government will implement an equated monthly instalment based payment model for a streetlight modernisation project, PWD minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Tuesday. He said the move will apply to a plan to convert around 93,000 streetlights on main roads, aiming to reduce electricity consumption and save around three billion (bn) in five years. Payments will be monthly and linked to performance reports to ensure proper functioning and management of the new smart streetlights.

The project is estimated to cost about Rs 4,732.4 mn and will be implemented in phases on roads maintained by the PWD. High pressure sodium vapour lights and older LED fixtures will be replaced with smart LEDs and provision has been made for 5,000 additional poles to cover future requirements and unlit stretches. The contractor will be required to ensure proper functioning of lights to receive monthly payments tied to performance.

A control and command centre will be set up at the MSO building, the PWD headquarters, with two 75-inch display computers and monitoring software to track streetlight status in real time. The system will allow dimmable, individually controlled lights to adapt to weather and traffic conditions and improve energy efficiency. Contractors will be monitored against benchmarks and payments adjusted according to agreed metrics.

The tender has been issued and authorities expect the contract to be awarded within a fortnight, with work phased across the city road network. The finance department has reviewed the proposal and indicated that power expenditure should fall significantly over five years compared with the current arrangement.

At present the department maintains around 1,400 kilometres of road network in the national capital. Officials said the scheme is intended to modernise infrastructure, ensure accountability for maintenance and provide capacity for future expansion.