CHENNAI: The state government is examining how feasible it will be to integrate the ‘Call Before u Dig (CBuD)’ app with the single-window system of the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Directorate of Municipal Administration for digging up road portions, in an attempt to protect vital telecom infrastructure from damages.
States were asked by the Department of Telecommunications to complete asset-owner-user configurations by February 15, 2023, and issue directions mandating the use of the CBuD App by agencies before commencing any excavation. The CBuD, an initiative by the Department of Telecommunications, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year to facilitate smooth coordination between agencies that take up road cuts and underground utility asset owners.
Once the app is integrated with the single window of the corporation and the Directorate of Municipal Administration, all agencies will be mandated by the state government to commence digging only after raising a request through the CBuD App. Sources said that the chief secretary had asked the Public Works Department to go through the DoT Notification dated January 3, 2023, and come up with a proposal after consultations and deliberations with stakeholders.
An official told TNIE that the Chennai corporation is in the process of integrating the single window system with CBuD. “The teams from Elcot and GCC sat together and had an initial round of training. We have mapped the services to be taken up. This also pertains to inter-departmental issues and each department needs to be represented. The integration may take some time since the portal is different from our single window,” said the official.
Around 10 lakh optical fibre cable cuts occur in the telecom sector across the country resulting in a loss of Rs 5,000 crore every year. According to sources, many states and union territories have already issued an order mandating the usage of the CBuD application/portal before taking up excavation.