504 km of illegal cables removed in Bengaluru: DyCM

Refusing to stop the crackdown on illegal optical fibre cables in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday revealed that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has ripped away 504 kms of unauthorised OFCs. 

A few days ago, BBMP had gone offensive against illegal OFC that was defacing the beauty of the city with coiled and bundled cables lying on footpaths, tree trunks and thereby posing threat to pedestrians.

Buckling under pressure and cracking whip on the OFC mafia, BBMP had launched a drive against the network and removed a total of 8,000 km of OFC cables across its eight zones. 

“We warned telecom operators against laying cables without prior permission from the civic body and will take serious legal action,” Parameshwara stated. 

MR Venkatesh, chief engineer (OFC), BBMP, said “we will continue to take action against the unauthorised cables. We are sending this cable to the landfills to dispose of it.”

BBMP said there is approximately 8,942 km of authorised OFCs across the city, but the officials have no details of the figure for the unauthorised cables and the operator.

After the BBMP taken up the drive and was supported by the activist and environmentalist. The internet users suffered digital blackout without an internet connection.

Jayamahala corporator and former chairman of Tax and Finance Standing Committee, MK Gunashekar said, “The officials who allowed the illegal cables and mobile towers should be punished too. The civic body has a solution through TenderSURE roads to have the cables inside the ducts to ensure the city’s image isn’t damaged.”