Despite PMC's repeated appeals, overhead cables in Pune continue to trouble citizens & deface city
Pune: The civic body may have removed 2,500km of overhead cables in the city over the last six months, but the problem persists despite repeated warnings and appeals
Pune Municipal Corporation
(PMC) officials said they had lodged complaints against unknown cable operators and service providers for damaging civic property.
They said it was tough to identify owners of the overhead cables, which continue to deface civic areas, since no service provider takes responsibility for the wires.
Head of the civic electrical department Manisha Shekatkar said, "There is need to draft a policy. It will allow us to take stringent action against people responsible for using overhead wires."
On Saturday, a motorcyclist suffered a cut to his neck when a low-hanging cable caused an accident.
Civic officials said the administration was removing cables spread between 10km to 60km per week. The length can go up subject to availability of cranes, manpower and other equipment at ward-office levels. Though the problem caused by overhead cables persists on all key roads in the city, the gravity of the issue is felt more in areas like Wagholi, Sahakarnagar, Sinhagad Road and Baner Road.
PMC has made a schedule to cut the overhead cables and related drives are held on Saturdays.
PMC is also faced with the challenge to dispose of the snapped cables, which don't have much demand in the scrap market. Also, internet service providers and cellular companies don't come forward to claim the wires, reducing it all to waste. The civic administration has 30 truckloads of cables, which have been dumped at PMC's various ward offices.
Four years ago, the civic administration had given directives to companies using overhead cables to lay them underground.
However, most did not follow the instructions.
Meanwhile, citizens want PMC to take urgent action.
Prerna Goyal of Pashan said, "Though internet services are the need of the hour, it should not be at the cost of defacing the city. Service providers must opt for laying them through underground ducts."
"Risk of overhead cables increases during the rainy season and can cause accidents. Often, these cables get damaged because of trees falling, disrupting internet services," said Rucha Joshi of Satara Road.
Officials said PMC had carried out a survey of overhead cables in 2021. There was nearly 7,500km cable length across civic areas. Providers of cable TV, mobile and internet services had installed the cables.
At present, in areas where ducts are not available, PMC allows digging of roads to lay cables. The concerned firm has to pay road digging and restoration charges.
Many service providers told TOI that they do not convert their overhead cables to underground, since it is an expensive affair. PMC charges around Rs13,000 per km for road digging and restoration charges. Service firms are expected to pay 10% as an advance before starting to dig the roads.
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