Pune municipal corporation asked to frame policy on overhead cables in the city

Corporators said that on one hand the government was laying underground cables and phone lines while on the other, there were many cables, especially of local cable TV networks going from building to building and rooftop to rooftop.

PUNE The city improvement committee of the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) has instructed the municipal administration to prepare a policy on hazardous overhead cables in the city.

Sushil Mengade, president, city improvement committee, instructed the municipal administration to prepare a policy for these overhead cables. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Corporators said that on one hand the government was laying underground cables and phone lines while on the other, there were many cables, especially of local cable TV networks going from building to building and rooftop to rooptop.

Sushil Mengade, president, city improvement committee, instructed the municipal administration to prepare a policy for these overhead cables.

NCP member Bhaiyasaheb Jadhav said that recently some accidents involving birds due to these cables have come to light.

Jadhav, who is also a city improvement committee member pointed out that the PMC is not levying any fees for such overhead cables and did not have any data or record of these cables. On the other hand, the civic body had mandatory rules and regulations and fees for the laying of underground cables, he pointed out. He said that there were some operators who were deliberately installing overhead cables to avoid the high charges for laying underground cables.

While the municipal administration has accepted that the nuisance of overhead cables has increased in the city in recent years, two years ago, the PMC had launched a drive against these overhead cables and had also seized almost 50 km in length.