BENGALURU: Dangling cables and wires not only spoil the visual appeal of a city, but also pose a huge risk to its pedestrians.
Citizens say given the way cables and wires hang precariously or lie on pavements, it is not clear which of them is in contact with live electric cables or poles. Many fear that even accidentally tripping on them or touching them could prove costly.
Several roads in Seshadripuram, Malleswaram, Sanjaynagar and Ulsoor have cables dangerously hanging from tree branches as well as lying coiled up on pavements.
On Seshadripuram 1A Main Road, walkers had to do a delicate balancing act to avoid tripping on cables or getting their feet entangled in them. Footpaths on Mathikere Main Road too seemed to be no-go zones, given the tangled cables strewn all over.
Dikshith S, a resident of Yeshwantpur, said, “Some of the cross roads in our area have cables lying around for years now. We really don’t know who to raise this issue with. For that matter, several streets in the city have this problem. While cables on the main thoroughfare are removed during BBMP drives, those on side roads tend to remain there for years.”
Suchithra Deep, a resident of Malleswaram, said a private OFC company carrying out some work in the area left behind cables everywhere, not even bothering to restore the roads after digging them up. “What excuse does a private company have for not being able to clear the debris as soon as work is over? We have spoken to the Malleswaram assistant executive engineer about this,” she said.
Sushila G, who has been selling flowers on Sahakarnagar Main Road for nearly 10 years said, “After some work on the road, heaps of cables have been lying on the pavement. I wear a sari and carry a basket on my head. I can’t keep looking down to ensure I don’t trip on cables and spill all the flowers,” she said.
Sushila and other street vendors bundled up the cables and put them in a corner. After a few days, BBMP cleared the pileup.
“We did it because we needed a place to sit and carry out our business,” she said.
“We are aware there are a lot of unused cables lying on pavements. We have received orders from the high court to conduct a drive to have them removed. Zonal chief engineers have been put in charge of this,” BBMP officials said. They, however, said it’s risky to remove cables without checking since some may be functional internet ones. In that case, internet connectivity will be disrupted and affect those working from home and doing online classes.
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