Once known for its green and peaceful skyline, Pune is now grappling with a web of illegal overhead internet cables, as activists say these wires are “illegally” placed on trees, street lights and other structures, endangering birds and public safety.
Among the areas where these overhead cables are prominent are some of the city’s busiest roads such as FC Road, Goodluck Chowk, and JM Road at Bal Gandharva Chowk – which is near the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Wildlife activist Narendra Pardeshi said, “Cables are often not seen by birds, so they fall on the road and run under vehicles. We see many such incidents regularly and report them to the forest department. If we can’t remove the cables there will be a dangling hazard for both the birds and the trees they are housed in. “
“While complaining about suspended cables on the ‘PMC Care App’, I rarely see them being disposed of. There is no specific policy regarding the disposal of such cables which is an inconvenience. And there is always the danger of them getting stuck in vehicle tyres,” said civil rights activist Rupesh Kesekar.
“In response to repeated complaints, Rajendra Bhosle, municipal commissioner of PMC, has asked the power department to draft a detailed policy on stranded cables making way for open skies,” Kesekar said.
When asked about overhead internet cables, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) electricity department head Manisha Shekatkar said these are illegal. “Though the encroachment department is responsible for removing them, we remove them from electric poles at the ward level every week. While the process of undergrounding these cables comes under the road department,” said Shekatkar.
“We have a policy of cutting the overhead cable and undergrounding it by charging Rs 600 per meter for excavation. Complaints are registered at the ward level regarding stranded cables and subsequent action is taken regularly,” said Sahebrao Dande, Deputy Engineer, Roads Department, PMC.
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