Residents suffer blackout as telecom firm damages power lines

Here is an example of the wayward approach of private telecom companies. While digging up a road to lay optical fibre cables (OFCs), a telecom firm damaged the electrical cables, BSNL landline and water pipes on Sunday evening.

Its impact: Since Sunday evening, parts of Nagasandra plunged into darkness, BSNL landline services were damaged and water supply was hampered. The Bescom officials who are repairing the cables are not sure whether they will be able to restore power connection for the next three days.

Since Sunday evening, Sobha Ruby residential complex comprising about 1,187 flats is running on diesel generator sets. Chances are that the dependence on the generator  set round-the-clock will continue for the next three days. Others living in independent houses may have to depend on candles for the next three days, if the electricity supply is not restored. It is learnt that the telecom firm had taken permission to dig only nine km, whereas it dug almost 90 km.

Considered the largest private telecom company in Karnataka, the firm apparently did not coordinate with any of the civic agencies before digging up the road.

A Bescom employee engaged in the power restoration work said he had reminded the officials of the firm about the electricity cables on the road and had shown them the locations too. Yet, the executives of the telecom firm did not take any precautions before undertaking the work.

Yogendra Babu, an enquiry officer with Bescom who lives in Nagasandra, was annoyed by the damage caused to the power utility’s line. He said, “The telecom company dug at least eight feet deep inside the ground. The damage is severe. I have informed my higher-ups about it.”

Prakash, the BBMP ward engineer for Nagasandra, has no information about the damage caused to the road.

When contacted, he said, “The telecom companies do not approach us when they get the permission from the OFC cell in the head office. We have no information about digging of our (BBMP’s) road. Better you contact the OFC cell of the BBMP.”

The BBMP chief engineer (OFC) did not respond, despite several calls to him.
DH News Service