DEHRADUN: The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) is expected to install automatic streetlights in the city to conserve energy and save manpower. These streetlights would automatically switch on as the daylight fades and turn off when there is sunshine. Officials said that they have placed orders for 4,500 new automatic lights. Before ordering the lights, the department first conducted beta testing of a sample batch.
“These new lights will have automated on/off switches. This will go a long way in conserving electricity. We will be able to conserve a lot of power with these new sensor lights,” said Manuj Goyal, municipal commissioner, DMC. He pointed out that field personnel manually switch on and turn off street lights at present. “We often get complaints regarding non-functioning lights but most of the time, it is found that they were not switched on. The sensor lights will eliminate this issue. They will function on the availability or lack of natural light,” added Goyal.
Officials further said that these sensor lights are waterproof and do not lead to any accidental electrocution cases during the monsoon.
Meanwhile, residents of several localities have complained of defunct streetlights. “Every city ward had so many non-functional lights. We have been raising these concerns for months now. Monsoons provide an excuse for officials to delay repair works. It gets very dangerous to drive (or ride) during monsoons at night when the roads are not well-lit,” said Bhupender Kathait, a city councillor. Localities like Raipur, ISBT, Tapovan, Vidhan Sabha, Defense Colony, Dalanwala, Rajender Nagar, and others are facing the issue of non-functional streetlights.
Earlier, DMC had claimed that it installed over one lakh streetlights across Dehradun last year.
Out of these, over 45,000 were installed in rural areas and the rest in urban localities.
