Knotty affair: No overhead cables in residential areas, say Model Town residents

Amritsar, August 10

Cables put up by the internet companies, telecom service providers and cable TV operators in large numbers can not only be seen on the electricity and streetlight poles installed in the streets but also on the railings of balconies in many houses of the Model Town area here.

Residents said that hundreds of cables tied to the poles in the locality belong to private communication companies. In many cases, the cables have also been fixed alongside the walls of the houses.

Sanjeev Kumar, a local resident, said the cables hang so loose at places that they even touch the large vehicles passing through the area. “These cables are not only an eyesore but also an inconvenience to the residents. In the next two months when kite flying begins, the plastic threads would get entangled in these cables and cause accidents,” he said.

The residents complained that metallic wires of the Power Corporation run parallel to the walls of the houses. They demanded that these wires should be replaced with plastic-coated cables as they are comparatively safe.

With the overhead cables becoming an eyesore and marring the skyline, the residents stated that the Municipal Corporation should ask all private companies to lay their cables underground. They stated that overhead cables should not be allowed in the residential areas.

With private companies misusing the public infrastructure belonging to Power Corporation and Municipal Corporation, the departments are yet to wake up to the problem. The residents, on the other hand, feel helpless as they are in no position to stop these companies from fixing their cables.