Bengaluru’s South zone, which has the city’s highest count of streetlights, is at the forefront of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) ambitious LED streetlight upgrade. Out of 80,584 streetlights in the zone, 55,703 still operate on outdated vapour lamps, making it the top contributor to the city’s power consumption.
BBMP plans to replace over 2 lakh vapour lamps with energy-efficient LEDs within the next eight months. Across Bengaluru, the civic body manages more than 5.3 lakh streetlights.
Trailing the South zone are RR Nagar with 79,704 streetlights (44,140 vapour), and the East zone with 78,519 units (37,167 vapour). Mahadevapura, with 77,787 lights including 48,666 vapour lamps, faces persistent complaints from residents over poor illumination.
Hoodi resident Shalini Ramesh shared, “Areas like Kasavanahalli and Haralur Road have long stretches in darkness. We rely on phone torches at night.” Rajeev Menon of Brookefield described roads turning pitch dark after 8pm, making walking and driving dangerous.
The West zone has 76,878 streetlights, while Bommanahalli has fewer overall (48,126) but a high proportion of vapour lamps (32,458). Yelahanka, with 27,502 lights, records the lowest count.
BBMP has split the project into four contracts, with tenders finalized. Surveys are underway, and mass replacements are set to commence in two months.
Superintendent Engineer Anand K noted that Bengaluru’s scale has delayed progress but assured swift execution. The project aims to slash power bills, reduce maintenance, and significantly improve visibility and public safety.