Telecom service providers and cable TV operators will soon make changes to existing underground infrastructure to facilitate construction of cement concrete roads in the city.
The Chennai Corporation will start laying cement concrete roads on 69 stretches shortly. Next week, the Corporation council is likely to pass a resolution on commencing the work, which has been divided into seven packages, said an official of the Corporation.
Telecom service providers and cable TV operators met with Chennai Corporation officials on Wednesday to sort out issues pertaining to the removal of cables and ducting of underground fibre optic cables.
As many as 170 roads are likely to be converted into cement concrete roads in the first phase.
“The roads will have 1.5 feet for ducting. All telecom service providers will have to increase the height of manholes. We will not delay the Corporation’s work on cement concrete roads. This will also facilitate better service to customers,” said Radhakrishna Vittaldev, representative of telecom service providers in the city. Over 15 service providers participated in the meeting on Wednesday.
“We removed damaged cables on streetlights along the medians on roads such as G.N. Chetty Road this week. Work on many roads will be completed this week,” said a representative of cable TV operators. Over 800 km of cables have been identified in the city.
The civic body has set a deadline for removal of advertisement hoardings and cables, as they are the biggest challenge to the functioning of streetlights in the city. The civic body is now planning to impose a fine on any agency that illegally uses its space for cables.
The Corporation had set June 10 as the deadline for the removal of all structures placed on streetlights. However, the deadline has now been extended by 15 days following requests from agencies that use these poles.
The Chennai Corporation will remove illegal cables on its own after a list of the survey done by the operators is submitted to the civic body.
The civic body’s plan to put in place an automated control system to monitor streetlights will also gain momentum after illegal cables are removed.
At present, the Corporation maintains 2.13 lakh streetlights.
