Chennai Plans One-Year Upkeep Plan for Over Two Lakh City Streetlights

The Greater Chennai Corporation wants to give out a one-year contract to look after more than two lakh lamps and hundreds of tall lighting towers across a dozen areas of the city. Mayor R. Priya and Commissioner G.S. Sameeran led a general council meeting at Ripon Buildings on Thursday where officials discussed this plan.

Maintenance Plan

The project covers twelve specific regions including Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Tondiarpet, Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, Ambattur, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur. Workers must check the lamps every single day and fix any broken ones inside one day after getting a report from citizens or civic staff. The winning bidder also has to take care of junction boxes, power feeder boxes, poles, and other related electrical parts without counting the price of spare parts.

Rules And Costs

Contractors need to bring their own staff and trucks equipped with special aluminium or hydraulic ladders to do the job properly. For the Ambattur division alone, which holds 28,417 lamp posts and 69 large high-mast towers, the upkeep will cost five crore and one lakh rupees for the full year. Teams must turn the lights on and off strictly following the corporation timetable and send in status reports every fortnight. Fines will be charged if workers turn up late for repairs, if there are not enough staff members, or if the transport vehicles break down.

Context

Routine civic upkeep like street lighting contracts helps local bodies make sure public roads stay safe and well-lit during night hours. City corporations often hire private agencies to handle large-scale electrical maintenance because specialized equipment and regular patrolling require dedicated ground teams.