The Greater Chennai Corporation has established an 18-member panel led by three IAS officers to ensure all street lights across the city are operational and eliminate dark spots. The panel conducted a survey on Sunday night and early Monday morning, identifying 1,817 lights that were not functioning. The city has a total of 3,11,285 street lights located on roads, streets, flyovers, subways, parks, bus termini, TNUHDB housing tenements, and burial grounds.
Panel Composition and Inspection Plan
The panel comprises 15 senior officials, including revenue officers, chief engineers, and superintending engineers. They will conduct late-night inspections after 7 PM. Any non-functioning streetlights will be reported to the GCC commissioner.
Commissioner's Statement on Repairs
GCC commissioner G S Sameeran stated that during inspections, officials were instructed to check for street light poles removed due to civic works, such as Tangedco cable laying or storm water drain projects, which have yet to be reinstalled. Nearly 27 locations require reinstallation of lights. Out of the 1,817 identified lights, 60% had accessory faults, which were ordered to be fixed within 24 hours. The remaining 40% had cable or connection issues, to be resolved within 48 hours. The commissioner also urged residents to report dysfunctional or dim street lights by calling 1913.
Maintenance Challenges
Many street light poles installed during the 2015-16 LED shift from yellow sodium-vapour lamps remain rusted due to poor maintenance. The seven-year contract for these lights expired in 2022 and was not renewed. Major companies like Crompton and Philips refused to service the GCC after the contract ended, and the civic body did not renew annual maintenance contracts.
2025 Tender Issues
In 2025, the GCC tendered for a third-party contractor to fix the street lights, but these contractors could not source components from Philips and Crompton and lacked technical expertise to repair the centralized street light monitoring system. This led to lights not turning on at 6 PM sharp, requiring manual activation. Officials plan to issue fresh tenders to reputed companies after the state budget is presented.
