Drive to remove illegal overhead cables

If we take a look at the road right below our residence or office through window, we might find a bundle of wires and cables connected from one pole to another to supply us electricity, internet, telephone and cable connection. Service providers, including internet and dish cable operators, are using the electric poles illegally as they have no infrastructure to support their wires. 

The service providers are engaged in an unhealthy competition of covering the poles with new cables in a haphazard manner having no idea about how these can cause accidents anytime. People walking along the city streets, particularly in the commercial areas, are at high risk of accidents due to overhead utility service cables as such cables are often found lying on the ground in many city areas. 

However, despite repeated orders from the authorities to have the utility service connections underground, internet and cable TV operators paid no heed to the matter.

We expect service providers will also cooperate 

with the authorities concerned to immediately 

implement the plan to take electric wires 

underground

Considering the situation, of late, the Dhaka South City Corporation has started conducting drives to remove illegal overhead cables. Reportedly, the drive started after getting instructions from DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh given on the basis of Cable Television Network Operation Act-2006. 

The government’s decision to move illegal overhead cables underground is commendable. Such a move clarifies the fact that the government is taking stern action in the larger interest of public safety overcoming all political bottlenecks. 

We hope the City Corporations will take necessary actions to successfully remove all the hazardous and illegal overhead cables formulating concrete policies. We expect service providers will also cooperate with the authorities concerned to immediately implement the plan to take electric wires underground.

We have been informed that the city corporations will take action to make it free from overhead cables by next December. But, it seems that the service providers would need more time to remove tons of wire and connect them through the underground system. 

Unless they are given the required time it is the ever growing consumers who would suffer the most. Therefore, authorities concerned should sit with the service providers and fix a reasonable deadline to complete the work.