The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has issued a public notice to all cable television and broadband service providers in the city to remove their cables from streetlight poles within one week. The civic body has raised concerns over the haphazard installation of cables on streetlight poles and the risk of accidents if cables fall on the road.
As per a TNN report, Jatan Badheka, VMC's deputy executive engineer (streetlight), said service providers take cables in a haphazard manner using streetlight poles, changing the angle of the brackets on which streetlights are installed, affecting illumination on the road. The civic body has also raised concerns over the safety of pedestrians and vehicles due to cables falling on the road during heavy winds or collapsing trees, leading to accidents.
To address these concerns, the VMC has asked service providers to take permission from the civic body and the city police if they want their cables to cross the road overhead. However, sources have indicated that service providers have not sought permission in the past, and the civic body has had to go soft on them, as severing cables or not allowing them to cross the roads would affect internet connectivity and cable television services.
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The VMC's move to cleanse the cables crossing the streets is a step towards ensuring the safety of citizens and improving the city's infrastructure. However, it is also essential for service providers to find alternative solutions to overhead cabling, given that roads in the city do not have ducts or similar provisions underground for cabling.
The service providers must work with the civic body to find a solution that ensures the safety of citizens and the uninterrupted provision of services. In the absence of underground ducts, it is imperative to find alternatives, such as aerial cabling, which could involve the installation of poles designed for cabling. The service providers must adhere to the regulations set by the civic body to ensure the smooth functioning of services and the safety of citizens.
The VMC's initiative to cleanse the cables crossing the streets is a positive step towards improving the city's infrastructure and ensuring the safety of citizens. However, it is equally important for service providers to find alternative solutions to overhead cabling to ensure the uninterrupted provision of services and the safety of citizens.
