Smart streetlights in Dolakha expose technical and operational weaknesses

Smart streetlights installed in Charikot, Dolakha, under a smart city initiative have been exhibiting significant technical and operational flaws, much to the consternation of residents. The lights have been observed to switch on during daylight hours and remain illuminated well past sunrise, exposing a critical weakness in the system's management and functionality. This issue, first noticed in January-February, has persisted, prompting local inquiries that have yet to yield immediate solutions.

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I informed the installing company after the lights started remaining on during the day. They responded that the timing had to be adjusted from India.

The streetlight system, a joint project between Bhimeshwar Municipality and the Nepal Electricity Authority, was intended to modernize urban infrastructure. However, its reliance on a centralized automated schedule managed by software hosted in India has created a bottleneck. Municipal officials, like Arjun Tamang, have repeatedly raised concerns about the daytime illumination but have been informed that schedule corrections can only be made remotely from India. This lack of local control, coupled with a non-functional management application, severely hampers the municipality's ability to rectify the problem.

This situation highlights a common challenge in developing nations: the dependence on external systems and software, which can lead to operational inefficiencies and increased costs. Bhimeshwar Municipality expends over Rs1.5 million annually on electricity for these streetlights, and the current faulty scheduling is undoubtedly contributing to this significant expenditure. The energy-saving features, such as sensor-based dimming, are not being fully utilized due to these software access limitations.

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Even after repeated follow-ups, we were told the software is controlled from there.

From a Nepalese perspective, as reported by The Kathmandu Post, this incident underscores the complexities of implementing smart city technologies. While the ambition to modernize is commendable, the practical execution reveals vulnerabilities. The municipality's struggle to gain direct control over the system, even after the responsibility was reportedly handed over to the local Dolakha Distribution Centre of the Nepal Electricity Authority, points to deeper issues of technological integration and inter-agency coordination. The focus remains on ensuring that such initiatives deliver on their promise of efficiency and cost-savings, rather than becoming a source of waste and frustration.

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