BENGALURU: Following Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara’s instructions, BBMP started a drive against unauthorised optical fibre cables, banners and signboards on trees on Wednesday.
According to a BBMP source, the drive began on Wednesday and continued on Thursday. The drive has been taken up more actively in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru east and south. Parameshwara had issued instructions to clear such structures during a meeting on Monday, following which BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad asked officials to remove cables. Notices had already been issued to cable operator firms.
Optical fibre cables for which permissions had not been issued as well as those which were hanging on trees, buildings and electric poles were removed. Parameshwara tweeted about the exercise, “We are pulling down unauthorised optical fibre cables which are literally strangulating trees as well as causing serious hazards to pedestrians.”Another tweet said, “Nailing posters and ad brochures onto trees and strangling them with cables and glitter lights harm their health and well being. Please note that these are all offenses. While we are pulling these down, be warned that strict action will be taken against those harming trees.” Manjunath Prasad tweeted that the drive continued throughout Wednesday night.
On Thursday, a citizen group also started removing cables hanging from trees on MG Road. Welcoming the move, urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth said, “The cable operators had plenty of time to fix these cables. They have been hanging illegally for a long time. If their cables are cut, it is their problem as they have been causing a lot of damage to the green cover.”
On July 6, an environmentalist was allegedly threatened by an unknown person for removing advertisement posters stapled on trees. The person threatened Preeya Narayan that if she does not stop, he would enter her home and vandalise it. Following the incident, a city court directed the police to file an FIR against the accused.