In another landmark decision that will make the national capital safer for its citizens, the Kejriwal Government is set to install 70,000 streetlights in various constituencies of Delhi under the Mukhyamantri Street Light Yojana. This will be in addition to the 2.1 lakh streetlights that the Kejriwal Government had earlier aimed to install in the city.
On Tuesday, Urban Development Minister Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj gave his approval to the scheme to install an additional 70,000 streetlights, increasing the target from 2.1 lakh to 2.8 lakh, and directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to complete the project within the estimated timeline. He said that the initiative had been taken after seeing the tremendous participation of the residents of Delhi under the Mukhyamantri Street Light Yojana, and therefore it was decided to install an additional 1,000 street lights in all the constituencies of Delhi.
Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the Delhi Government is committed to ensuring the safety of women. In 2019, Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal announced the Mukhyamantri Street Light Yojana. Under the scheme, the aim was to install 2.1 lakh street lights in different parts of Delhi and the responsibility of installing these street lights was given to three different companies. LED lights of 10, 20 and 40 Watt were to be installed under this scheme.
Currently, under the scheme, most street lights have been installed to eliminate the dark spots that the state government had planned to illuminate. In some of the areas, the work of installing these street lights is in the final stages. “Now, on the directions of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, we have decided to install an additional 1,000 street lights in each assembly constituency. That is, 70,000 additional street lights will be installed in 70 assembly constituencies of Delhi and these will help in quickly eliminating all the dark spots in Delhi,” he said.
It is also noteworthy that the street lights that are being installed under this scheme are automatic, and will switch on when it gets dark outside. As these lights will have a sensor in them, they will also switch off on their own in the mornings and therefore ensure better utility of electricity. Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the implementation of the scheme will be carried out by three companies and these firms will be in-charge for installing the lights as well as their maintenance. He added that as part of this scheme, 20/40 Watt LED lights will be installed with timers and sensors.
Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj also said that it is for the first time that the state government was installing street lights in such a large scale. “This scheme will be effective in ending incidents of crime against women in Delhi. The street light will be powered by the building owner’s electricity connection and the bill of the building owner will be reduced based on the units consumed by these lights. People can install these lights in their homes, shops, streets, anywhere. The people of Delhi are enthusiastically participating in this scheme, and we hope that soon every street in Delhi will be illuminated,” he said.
