The home matches of the Knight Riders in the next edition of IPL may have to be played by day if the lighting system at Eden Gardens is not overhauled.

The committee constituted by the state government to examine the system has found that even the four towers that hold up the lights need immediate attention.

“Rust has weakened the towers. They need a fresh coat of paint,” said a member of the panel, after an inspection of the lighting arrangement at the Eden, the first cricket stadium in India to get floodlights.

The towers, about 70 metres high, have an iron board at the top, to which 216 lamps are fitted. A maze of electrical wires runs through the structures from the control rooms at the base.

“The security and maintenance of the towers are as important as the power distribution system across the stadium, including the floodlights,” said another member of the panel, made up of representatives of CESC, Calcutta police, the Cricket Association of Bengal and the public works department.

A voltage fluctuation monitor must be acquired, feels the committee, which is working on its report now.

“High-powered UPS (uninterruptible power supply) can be installed to ensure that the lights don’t go off because of a drop in voltage. We have informed the authorities about the measures to be taken,” said Mani Shankar Mukherjee, the joint chief electrical inspector of the government and the head of the committee.

A blackout disrupted the Kolkata Knight Riders’ first home match on April 20. Some bulbs again went off in all the towers during the team’s match against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, embarrassing the organisers.

“An alternative to the UPS would be to connect some of the metal-halide bulbs in each of the towers to a powerful generator to avoid a blackout in case of power failure,” said another expert.

There are three phases — red, blue and yellow — that supply power to the bulbs on each tower. One of the phases could be connected to a high-powered generator for continuous supply.

The lights, each of which has a life span of over 10,000 hours, do not need to be replaced immediately, according to the committee.

However, a new set of lamps could cut down the power bills.

“Regular maintenance would make a world of difference. Even if the system is revamped, it will need to be maintained through the year,” said a senior police officer serving in the committee.