The Indian Express 12.09.2013
400-km illegal TV cables confiscated in Pimpri
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is removing illegal
television cables and have cleared around 400 km of cable so far with
the help of cable operators and internet providers, officials said. The
civic action has, however, affected cable TV connections in many homes.
“Cable television operators and internet connection providers on
their own also removed cables covering a stretch of 150 km. We removed
the remaining cables, covering a stretch of 253 km,” officials said.
PCMC has conceded that it has no policy regarding laying
television and internet cables. It has now decided to prepare a policy
for laying underground cables. The policy will be prepared by a team
comprising town planning department, law department, city engineer and
electrical departments in the next three months.
Though PCMC officials claimed that they had earlier given a
notice to local cable television operators. Operators, however, said no
such notice was given. PCMC official said they had asked them to remove
the unauthorised cables drawn over the streetlights by August 31 or else
face action.
“The cable operators refused to follow our directive. Therefore,
PCMC started removing the cables from September 1,” senior officials
said. Though the drive has been halted due to Ganeshotsav, PCMC said it
will be revived soon.
PCMC has appealed to private cable television operators to
contact the city engineer’s office or the executive engineer of
engineering department with their plan to lay underground cables.
