BENGALURU: A day after a 21-year-old Christ University girl student suffered severe burns when a live wire fell on her after a water tanker accidentally pulled an optical fibre cable causing an electric pole to fall, officials of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) started a drive to clear all unauthorised OFCs in the city.
Bescom Managing Director Mahantesh Bilagi said many such cables are dangling dangerously low across the city, but there is no information as to how many areas are affected by it. There is also no data on how many kilometres these cables have been drawn, he added. But all the cables are being removed. The energy department too has issued a notice stating that all overhead OFC cables should be cleared immediately, failing which legal action will be taken against erring companies.
A Bescom release stated, “Bescom has decided to remove all illegal Optical Fiber Cables (OFCs), data cables and dish antenna cables which have been laid on electrical poles across Bescom jurisdiction. Due to unauthorised OFCs, dish cable and internet data cables laid on electric poles, two pedestrians are injured coming under the toppling electric poles in two separate incidents in Bengaluru.
Following these two incidents, BESCOM has decided to remove all the unauthorised cables within one week. BESCOM has also stated if OFC and dish cable operators do not remove these cables within one week, BESCOM itself will remove these cables and book case against the concerned operators.”