Complaints mount over alleged poor upkeep of LED streetlights installed under CSML project in Kochi

Maintenance of smart LED streetlights installed by Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) within Kochi Corporation limits has emerged as a contentious issue, with ruling and Opposition councilors sharply divided over the issue.

More than 40,000 LED lights were installed during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) council as part of a project worth Rs 40 crore. The operation and maintenance of these lights were then transferred to an institution for five years until 2030.

According to the agreement, the faulty lights had to be repaired within 48 hours. However, Mayor VK Minimol said that this article was not implemented effectively and this led to an increase in complaints. “Failure to carry out maintenance on time has become a major headache for the Company. We had warned the previous council not to proceed with the project and pay the full amount before correcting the deficiencies in operation and maintenance. Although we have raised the issue several times, including with the public works committee, no solution has been found yet,” he said.

However, the Opposition LDF accused the ruling front of trying to discredit the project. LDF parliamentary party leader VA Sreejith said: “The lights are of good quality. If there are gaps in maintenance, it is the management’s responsibility to plug them and ensure a foolproof system through constant inspection.”

Practical difficulties

Sudha Dileepkumar, BJP councilor from Ernakulam Central division, highlighted the practical difficulties in the repair process. “Since the lights are mounted on KSEB (Kerala State Electricity Board) poles, maintenance requires the Board to switch off the electricity. There are multiple transformers in my section and KSEB will not shut down all the supply lines for maintenance. As a result, all the lights requiring maintenance cannot be attended to and many areas remain in complete darkness,” he said.

United Democratic Front (UDF) parliamentary party leader MG Aristotle stated that the lights were mounted on KSEB poles instead of separate polls, which required the presence of KSEB officials for maintenance. Moreover, the system was supposed to automatically alert the control room when the lights are broken, but this does not happen. City council members are forced to physically monitor the lights and alert the agency. The smart measurement promised within the scope of the project was not implemented. This means that energy efficiency, one of the most important reasons for switching to LED lighting, cannot be measured. Meanwhile, he said, the Company continues to pay around Rs 1.5 billion per month to KSEB for street lighting.

Unfairly accused: agency

The agency charged with maintenance claimed it was unfairly blamed for problems beyond its scope. “Out of about 74,500 streetlights in the corporation limits, only 40,400 have been replaced with LEDs. While we have received around 30 complaints from council members, majority of them are related to old bulbs and tubes for which we are not responsible. Also, KSEB does not allow shutdowns on the first five days of months, Sunday or second Saturday, leaving us limited days for maintenance. We have also started installing smart meters in 14 KSEB divisions. Agency sources said they help detect load variations and facilitate targeted billing. “It will happen,” he said.