Sajag Nagarik Manch,  Navi Mumbai based organisation has submitted a memorandum to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner, demanding that streetlight operations be planned according to sunrise and sunset timings to prevent electricity wastage.

"In recent years, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has installed LED lamps to save electricity and reduce wastage. While this initiative is commendable, streetlights often remain on for some time after sunrise and are switched on before sunset, which contradicts the corporation’s goal of electricity conservation to fulfill its objective of saving electricity, it is crucial that streetlights in Navi Mumbai be switched on and off according to sunrise and sunset timings," said the founder of the manch Sudhir dani. 

 NMMC despite awarding contracts worth crores of rupees for automated streetlight management, many streetlights remain operational at inappropriate times alleged the forum. ". Even though sunrise and sunset timings change with seasons, the municipal administration has fixed the streetlight schedule for the entire year," said Dani. 

The Sajag Nagarik Manch has proposed that streetlights be turned off 15 minutes before sunrise and turned on 15 minutes after sunset. NMMC electricity department is sought to adjust the streetlight schedules to match sunrise and sunset timings throughout the year. 

The organisation has further suggested through the memorandum that  that after midnight, streetlights on roads like Palm Beach Road should be alternately switched on, rather than all being operational. Additionally, high-mast lights in gardens should be turned off after 11 PM, and the concept of unnecessary high-mast lighting should be completely phased out to prevent energy wastage. The memorandum also recommends displaying the contact numbers of officials and contractors on streetlight poles so that citizens can report instances of streetlights being left on at inappropriate times.

With approximately 45,000 streetlights in Navi Mumbai, even an extra 20-30 minutes of operation  is termed by the organisation to results in significant electricity wastage. "Therefore, the Sajag Nagarik Manch has emphasized that municipal officials in the electricity department, who are quick to install new poles and LED lamps, should take equal responsibility in ensuring that streetlights are not left on unnecessarily, preventing energy wastage,' adds dani