The GHMC has finally issued a strong ultimatum to the cable and internet service provides to remove the hanging cables all over the city within a weeks time.
The GHMC Commissioner held the meeting with the cable operators, internet service providers and the telecom operators to use ducts on rental basis from Reliance, BSNL and Vodafone instead of using electric poles which is a potential risk to the citizens. Nearly 100 roads were identified by the corporation in and around the city, where cable operators and Internet service providers had stung their wires to electrical poles.
The tubular poles which were erected by the then Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad were being misused by the operators. GHMC has taken a decision for the repair and painting work to be carried out in a week so they have directed the operators for the removal of cables otherwise the corporation will remove the cables.
Shifting of cables from aerial to underground has been pending for many years. Few years ago after the High Court directed the State Government, GHMC and AP Central Power Distribution Company Limited to take necessary steps, a decision was taken to make underground wires for Cable Tv and Internet. A committee was set up to implement removal of hanging wires under APCPDCL. But it was not implemented though several people had lost their lives due to snapped and hanging cables in the last few years.
A committee was set up with the representatives from all departments and AP Transco as nodal agency for implementation of the recommendations. Deadline has been fixed for a period of six months in April 2006 to implement the recommendations of the committee to lay the cable and internet cables underground only and road cuttings has to be done either in horizontal direction drilling of ducting or as trenching being done in Bangalore. However, none of the agencies implemented these recommendations till now.