BENGALURU: While Bengaluru has carved its own niche on the global map through its innovation and technological advancement, some of its issues do not seem to die down. Dangling cables and poorly-lit roads have been plaguing Garden City for many years now.
Dangling cables on footpaths and roads not only pose a threat to the lives of motorists and pedestrians but also mar the beauty of the city, while poorly lit roads lead to accidents and also crimes like robberies.
While civic authorities make claims of strict enforcement of laws against violators, television cables dangling from electric poles and those between buildings lying low on the road posing danger to the lives of bikers are a common sight. Various Internet providers have dug up roads and footpaths in various parts of the city to lay optical fibre cables and there are several instances of pedestrians getting injured due to this.
Experts opine that the lack of a proper policy, the absence of stringent laws and the lacklustre enforcement of existing laws are some of the reasons for this. Civic activist Sandeep Anirudhan said that government agencies should have advisory bodies which can think thoroughly about all aspects of a project before its implementation.
“Laying of OFC cables has been going on for the past few years and the same spots are dug up multiple times by multiple companies. If the government had planned to develop the infrastructure, it could have saved the city roads. They could have collaborated with private companies for the same and many firms would have agreed as there are several benefits. It would have saved money and time and would have also caused less inconvenience to the public.”
“A policy on cabling should be introduced to deal with the issue better,” he opined. Energy consultant and former chairperson of the Energy Committee of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industries MG Prabhakar said television cables are a nuisance and they are making Bengaluru a city of entangled wires.
“Virtually, television cables cross every building. Law has to take its course but we can see that there is no control. The government can’t turn a blind eye to such issues and it should ensure strict implementation of orders,” he added.
And, who has not seen roads that have no street lights? It is a common problem across the city and incidents like robberies take place on stretches that are not well-lit. A senior Bescom official said that they regularly conduct special drives to address issues like dangling cables.
“We have a helpline number and dedicated WhatsApp numbers where people can send pictures. A docket number will be raised and the engineers concerned will be alerted. The issue will be resolved within a few hours. Besides, we also issue notices to companies which dig up roads and do not close them soon after laying of cables.”