Recently, the Public Works Department sent a missive to the Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dhadwal, asking about the status of the project. The government has asked the Delhi Police to accelerate the pace of work on the project, which was earlier stalled due to scarcity of funds.

However, the police are apprehensive about the security of the solar panels, as they were stolen in some areas where they were installed on a trial basis.

The police are now looking at making special arrangements to ensure that the panels are not stolen.

When asked, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), S N Srivastava said, “The installation will be completed in time. The New Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) has been instructed to convert two signals at busy intersections into solar-powered lights, and the work on it is underway.” Work is in progress at two traffic signals at Madhuvan Chowk in Rohini and Old Secretariat.

Under the Intelligent Traffic System, the Delhi Police is supposed to convert all 850 traffic signals in the city into LED lights.

“LED lights consume 10 watts of electricity than the 100 watts consumed by ordinary lights. Moreover, once the solar panels are installed, the signals will work even during power cuts. This will ensure smooth flow of traffic,” a senior police official said.