A web of cable TV and broadband wires strung between electric poles is a common sight in the city. At least 15 cables are tied to every electric pole that are erected on road dividers. Besides endangering the lives of road users, these cables mar the city’s aesthetics.
Although the Electricity department has announced guidelines and charges for cable TV operators, internet service providers and advertisement agencies on using the poles, it has not had the desired effect.
There have been several instances of poles crashing under the weight of cables. Recently, a high mast lamppost crashed on Tindivanam Road disrupting traffic for some time. Ugly cables criss cross many locations in the city and are haphazardly hung from the poles. Not a single street is free from these unseemly sagging wires.
Vulnerable to winds
“The government must take stern action in the larger interest of public safety and overcome all political bottlenecks. The confused wiring system adds to the fear of the public about safety, particularly during strong winds. The impulse to have a cable TV connection is another reason for the rise in the number of cable operators. There should be strict regulation and the authorities concerned should be given a free hand. Unlike other laws, including the helmet rule, the law on cable television should be enforced strictly,” says S. Nadarajan, a resident.
An official of the Electricity Department said the cables strung to electric posts are the main reason for disruption in power supply. The issue has been raised at every review meeting and an order issued in 2018 asking the operators to pay for using electric poles to draw their cables. “The electric pole may be utilised for stringing cables provided the maximum permissible weight of the supporting wire and or cables should not exceed 200 grams per metre and such hanging/stringing does not exceed 50 metres in length pole to pole. The number of cables allowed to be strung between the poles was restricted to 10. However, the guidelines are openly flouted by cable TV operators and broadband service providers,” the official said.
For cable TV and broadband wires, the minimum charges were fixed at ₹2,000 for a block of three months for up to a maximum of first 500 metres or use of 10 electricity poles. For every subsequent metre, it was ₹3 a metre per quarter.
Notices ignored
The official said the department had issued show-cause notices to cable TV operators directing them to either fall in line or pay penalty for tying the cables in violation of the rules. However, barring a few telecom operators and a broadband service provider, the notices have been ignored.
According to Sunaina Mandeen of PondyCan, “The stringing of cable wires is dangerous too as it is done indiscriminately. Illegal power connection is sometimes taken by the broadband providers from the electric poles, which results in accidents. The government made all cables underground and now once again cable and high-speed internet service providers are allowed to continue this dangerous practice. Proper planning by the operators and the government alone can lead to an acceptable solution to this problem.”
Official sources said the cable TV operators have been defaulting on payment of entertainment taxes, which was a bigger issue. It has been hanging fire for some time. In this context, they were not giving serious thought to paying the charges for using electric poles for drawing cables. Each electric post has at least one primary cable connection wired to around 10 houses in the neighbourhood. “The department has the right to cut the wires but it is fraught with challenges as we have to face residents’ ire if we meddle with the cable TV wires,” the official added.
