'Urbanised Anaconda': Twitter trolls Bengaluru's power company for shoddy work

Twitter users mocked Bengaluru's electricity board BESCOM for work in taking all overhead cables underground across the city, calling them 'urbanised anacondas'.

A Twitter thread that has been ongoing since September 22 shed light on the works undertaken by Bengaluru's electricity manager BESCOM - Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited - specifically in shifting overhead cables underground.

Wires that had been shifted underground by Bengaluru's electricity board BESCOM were seen popping out of the ground at odd places.  (HennurBlr-Twitter)

The project, which is long overdue and delayed due to rain in the city, aimed to move all wires in the city underground. Pictures of BESCOM works undertaken in this direction made it online, prompting netizens to compare the wires, cables and pipes to ‘anacondas’.

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The pictures showed pipes running over trees and popping out of the ground at odd places. One picture also showed that a pipe had been taken ‘underground’ with a layer of cement coating it on top of the road.

Netizens discussed a hike in electricity charges, one saying, “That hike, with how BESCOM is the first utility who achieved the milestone to lay under sea cables on BLR roads.”

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A Twitter user called Muralidhar Rao posted a picture of shoddy work done by the electricity board, writing, “@onlineBESCOM - appreciate your taking the HT cables underground. But, is this how you go about it?”

A Twitter page then replied, “Sir, call them Urbanised anaconda, they’re everywhere,” and shared a few pictures supporting the claim.

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“Apparently, the latest 'technology' in running telecom cables - some lengths through sewer lines, a connecting link through a pipe on the road surface, and then the aerial route through the trees - most likely #Airtel or #ACT. Sanctioned by #BBMP?” the next tweet said.

The HennurBlr page then made a joke and observed that the same pipe that ran from a sewer to the road and then onto a tree was changing colours. “Interesting sir.. it’s changing colours with the surface eh. On ground it’s grey and on the tree it’s become orange. wow!” it posted.

The electricity manager has scheduled multiple power cuts across Bengaluru to undertake such works, affecting several areas for over eight hours a day.