In Bengaluru city, Optic Fibre Cables (OFCs) hang in the air posing a danger that is not going away even after many years of trying to take them underground. Presently, there are 2 336 km of illegal cables hanging from public infrastructures like trees and electric poles thus making everything unsafe and messes the beauty of the urban aesthetics while representing an entirely faulty system.
This was followed by widespread public anger when a student from a college was injured with serious burns amounting to 35% from an electric pole that fell on her in Suddaguntepalya within the city in August 2023. The concrete mixer truck had tried to pull down those illegally connected cables. In Kadubeesanahalli, another accident left a pole fallen on top of a 23-year-old man tangled up in wires.
However, this seeming indifference to public safety persists despite smart city roads being designed with underground utility ducts purposed for these cables. By July 8, Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) had told internet service providers (ISPs) and cellular operators to remove all such illegal cables from electric poles. That deadline has come and gone without any solution at sight.
The right system needed
However, all cellular operators say if there is a proper system they would be ready to take them underground instead. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one operator’s spokesperson explains: “Many areas where we operate have officially granted permission for us to go underground but others deny us due to ongoing Smart City project works.”
It is wrong to think that the operators want cheap things around them. “There are some places where it makes more sense taking official approval rather than going over ground paying hefty penalties. Which are much costlier and no operator wants it because it tarnishes their brand also,” says the company representative adds. We want everything well thought out.
On its part, local television networks often prefer overhead routes, even over roofs, trees and electric poles rather than incurring the expensive underground systems. The proliferation of tangled wires and cables on fully developed smart city roads also illustrates the depth of a problem. Poorly lit streets have further increased the danger of low hanging cables to bikes.
BBMP’s responsibility lies with ISPs
Nevertheless, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Engineer Lokesh Mahadevaiah does not let off ISPs for such illegalities. “Local networks are only a small portion of these wires and cables. Most of them belong to ISP providers. When we cut those cables OFC linked services are always affected,” he observed.
Lokesh confirms that BBMP has been conducting special drives for removing illegal overhead cables particularly. “For instance, three days ago we removed all the overhead cable lines along Old Madras Road; Old Airport Road and ITPL Main Road in Mahadevapura but shortly after that when we come down then there is endless complaints about disruption in internet services and inability to work by people hence under enormous pressure we get calls even from Central Government within 24 hours the same cables are re-installed.”
Even though there is no overhead provision, at times, OFC companies are given an option. Where the cables are far above public movement. Nevertheless, as Lokesh remarks, birds tend to perch on them and thus the cables start falling down due to different factors. “There is also the option of taking these cables down into the utility ducts of Smart City roads, but they don’t do that,” he says.
Drop cables into utility ducts
“Otherwise cut off the cable if this doesn’t happen into a duct built for it specifically,” explains V. Ravichandar who catalyzed Tender SURE roads which involved laying utilities. “It is bulldozer justice – once you have an alternate avenue set up in a road, authorities must enforce it. I can understand on roads where there is no alternative.”
More and more power lines are increasingly being buried underground. “It’s a joke that OFC cables continue to be overhead.” They have to drill on normal roads without u/g utility ducts like how Reliance did for Jio; it’s doable city-wide with policy,” argues Ravichandar.
Some organizations such as GAIL in many city areas have utilized Trenchless Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). But here too, there is a problem as Lokesh points out: “When we give permission for 10km of HDD, they lay cables for 100km. They even threaten us if we question.”
The OFC companies’ representatives have held several meetings with Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and BBMP Commissioner but nothing has been done about overhead cable menace. Problems however have only been compounded by the underground mess of utilities under multiple parastatal agencies including BWSSB, GAIL, Bescom and smart city works.
BESCOM has started a special drive called clearance of unauthorized or unattended OFC, dish or data cables laid on its distribution network.
Final approval gaps
“They just have to straighten out the issues properly by putting the rules, regulations and policies in place,” says an anonymous spokesperson. “In many cases, these cables are left hanging at the last leg. Even if OFC cables are underground, they have got to be taken out and connected to individual houses. The last leg approval often does not come through easily even after paying. The prescribed fee due to bureaucratic red tape,” explains a spokesperson.
The BBMP Chief Engineer however counters that Palike cannot be held responsible for everything. “Even operators must have some social responsibility.” Enforcement alone will not solve the problem. The operators want all kinds of flexibility, they want to go overhead even if it is illegal. All of them are major companies, let them be responsible,” he insists.
A very big problem
The pedestrians and motorists bear the impact of the OFC issue as the buck is passed around among these two. “These cables are a big headache for people on foot who have to walk on them. It is a terrible thing. The cables often get rolled up, so you should be really careful not to get caught up and fall down.”
Moreover, even who is responsible for this mess is unknown to residents themselves. “We don’t even know where to go for redressal. A major challenge here is accountability. It’s not that easy,” asserts Devare, reflecting. The thoughts of lakhs of common vehicle drivers and pedestrians in their struggle through the city’s urban chaos.
