Ahmedabad's Streetlight Crisis: A Systemic Failure in Civic Infrastructure
In Ahmedabad, a city with over 2.1 lakh streetlights, maintaining functional illumination should be a routine municipal task. Instead, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is grappling with a profound systemic crisis. Between 2021 and 2025, the AMC recorded a staggering 4.8 lakh complaints about non-functional streetlights, averaging approximately 7,980 complaints every month. This alarming volume highlights a severe breakdown in civic services that has left residents frustrated and safety compromised.
Contract Expiry and Ad-Hoc Maintenance
The root of this crisis lies in the expiration of the city's streetlight maintenance contract in January 2025. Despite the contract's official end, the AMC has failed to finalize a replacement for over a year. In the interim, the civic body has resorted to a fragmented and informal approach, assigning maintenance responsibilities to different companies across various zones without a formal tender process. This ad-hoc arrangement has proven largely ineffective, as AMC data confirms that non-functional streetlights remain the most frequently reported civic grievance among Amdavadis.
Historical Context and Current Proposals
The situation traces back to January 2020, when the AMC awarded Citilum India Pvt Ltd a five-year contract to maintain all streetlights. At that time, the city had 1.69 lakh poles, but urban expansion increased this number to 2.1 lakh. When the contract reached its term on January 10, 2025, officials repeatedly requested Citilum to continue, but the company showed no interest. This forced the AMC to hastily assign maintenance tasks to various companies without a tender. The AMC proposed a new five-year contract worth Rs 500 crore for operation, maintenance, and supply, installation, testing, and commissioning (SITC) of all streetlights, but this tender has yet to be finalized.
In a forthcoming meeting chaired by the AMC administrator on March 27, a proposal will be tabled to terminate the agency handling maintenance of streetlights in the South Zone due to unsatisfactory performance. Additionally, a proposal will be moved to shift its responsibilities to another contractor already operating in a different zone, aiming to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
Legal Compliance and On-Ground Reality
The delay in resolving this issue has raised significant compliance concerns. Under the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949 (GPMCAct), complaints about non-functional streetlights on main roads must be resolved within 24 hours, while those on other roads must be addressed within 48 hours. However, with complaints continuing to pile up at an alarming rate, the gap between these legal norms and the on-ground reality remains stark and troubling. This discrepancy underscores the urgent need for the AMC to expedite the tender process and implement a robust, long-term solution to restore reliable street lighting across Ahmedabad.
