HYDERABAD: Despite TGSPDCL reducing the annual rental for laying Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) on electricity poles from ₹600 to ₹100 per pole with May this year, loosely hanging and abandoned telecom cables continue to pose a safety risk across Hyderabad. Residents say the wires often hang at the entrances of homes and shops, obstruct footpaths and create fear of electrocution, particularly during rain.
The issue gained urgency after five people were killed last year at Ramanthapur when a dangling cable reportedly came into contact with a live power line during a religious procession. The Telangana High Court has also ordered removal of unauthorised cables from electricity poles, noting that such cables had caused multiple fatalities in the State.
Yellareddyguda resident and school principal A.S. Madhavi said cables hang so low outside their schools that she avoids allowing school children to play near the gate and compound wall premises. “During rains, the wires swing close to the entrance. We fear they may snap or touch a live line,” she said. The abandoned cables left by earlier internet operators have accumulated near my establishment.
“Customers hesitate to stand near the pole. The wires also make it difficult to carry out repairs,” Kavitha of Krishnanagar in Srinagar Colony. Similar complaints were reported from Ameerpet, where low-hanging wires risk people movement, particularly two-wheeler riders.
In Kavadiguda, P. Vasanthi said unused cables remain tied to poles even after operators shift or disconnect connections. “Nobody comes to remove them unless there is an accident,” she said.
TGSPDCL chairman and managing director Jitesh V. Patil recently reviewed implementation of the Telecommunications Right of Way (RoW) Rules, 2024 with telecom, broadband and data service providers. He directed operators to identify and remove unused cables and to ensure active cables are properly bundled and securely fastened. He also made it clear that no cables should be installed without permission and compliance with safety norms.
The discom is exploring coordination with telecom companies under its TCUR underground cabling project, under which single-fibre cables could be laid in trenches excavated for power cables. This is expected to reduce repeated road excavation and gradually clear overhead congestion.
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