Special drive by BMC to clear dangling wires, cables

Bhubaneswar: In a special clean-up drive, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun removing dangling wires and DTH cables that pose safety risks, besides being an eyesore.BMC officials said three dedicated squads have been deployed to carry out the operation to ensure the safety of commuters. "The drive that started on Wednesday will run for a week to remove and clear all dangling cables. The ones left out will be cleared later in a phased manner. But we hope that most of the cables dangerously hanging low will be removed," BMC deputy commissioner Ajay Mohanty said.He added that the height of some dangling wires will be raised.BMC officials said ladders are being used to fix the wires, with personnel engaged in the job being given safety kits. Enforcement squads will supplement the work of personnel from the electrical wing as well. Separate teams are working to remove the cluttered wires. "Wherever possible, poles with numerous cables are being covered," an officer said.BMC officials said it is the lookout of the private agencies in case there is disturbance in their network. "We will not be responsible for their network problem. They should have taken ample care instead of installing the cable in a cluttered and reckless manner," a BMC officer said.The civic body is also removing the illegal and unapproved hoardings from several prominent places to restore the city's aesthetic look and ensure safety as during rain it is likely that such hoardings may cause harm to people.Earlier, BMC decided that no hoarding, big or small, will be allowed to be installed along the right of way, the public realm (space) along an artery, including the motorable road, footpath and parking.