Hanging cables on roads cause concern

All along the roads, along the footpaths, we find overhead cables of all sorts. These are laid by Electricity Board, Telephone department, Cable TV operators, Internet Service Providers etc. As the demand for such services has increased many folds and a number of competitors have emerged, each company lays its own cables; even private colony streets and by lanes are not spared. Even in a new colony that is just few months old, the ugly scenes of tangled overhead cables may be seen. Service Providers' greed to reach each and every house has become a menace and a concern, why, I shall tell you shortly.

The cables are laid without any concern for standards, safety or regulations. All poles originally meant for electrical distribution or only telephones are abused without any permission or approval. When an ISP lays these cables, he keeps future expansion in mind and leaves a large bundle of extra cable at each pole. The clutter and chaotic condition of these dozens of cables close together must be seen to be believed. Here is the real problem: These cables, as they are not securely laid, get snapped often.

A lorry carrying goods stacked beyond reasonable heights will easily cut these cables. Even simple rains or a strong wind plays havoc. ISPs compete among themselves by resorting to unfair practice of deliberately cutting away the Internet cables of competitors every now and then. They do it in the night. This causes disruption of service for a couple of days, every time the cables are snipped.

In my area, within a radius of one kilometre I have Reliance, Tata, Beam, BSNL, Drishti and many more. They live preying upon each other and poaching other's customers. I was a victim of unreliable Internet Connection, not because my ISP, but because of nefarious activities of his competitors. The problem became so acute that I had to switch over to another ISP who runs underground cables for Internet. The net result is that we see overhead cables cut everywhere and they hang out in the most disgusting manner everywhere.

Another major concern is that the cut cables of varying lengths overflow from footpaths onto streets, lying haphazardly. Such wires get entangled by bicycles, walkers and others. Road users may trip and fall and get injured. Whenever I walk and observe this clutter, I take pains to pull and put back such lose cables back to poles, or otherwise secure them in such a way they won't cause any harm.

Scout and NCC volunteers should be trained to tackle this menace in their locality. How can we solve this menace? No one would remove (steal) these cut wires as it does not merit re-sale to raddi wala. Public are afraid and do not know whether they are energized cables that may give some shock. ISPs and others simply lay another pair of cables and leave the broken ones as it is. They do not collect it back. Some kind of a firm action from Municipal authorities is required. Those who own the poles (APCPDCL, BSNL and others) may interfere and prohibit ISPs from using their poles or lay down rules for proper usage.Solution to this problem is not easy. But if affected persons raise their voice often someone might be listening.

— P Vyasamoorthy, Secunderabad