Officials attribute damage to BSNL cables to development works

Consumers complain of disruption in landline and broadband services

March 02, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:49 am IST - Mysuru:

The Mysore Telecom District authorities are concerned about the damage to its underground cables owing to the ongoing development work onRaja Marga in Mysuru.— Photo: M.A. Sriram

The Mysore Telecom District authorities are concerned about the damage to its underground cables owing to the ongoing development work onRaja Marga in Mysuru.— Photo: M.A. Sriram

Even as the State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) faces intense competition for telecommunication services from private players, Mysore Telecom District officials are up in arms over the damage to their underground cables on account of the development works in the city.

The root cause of most of the complaints they are receiving for disruption in landline or broadband services can be traced to developmental works taken up by the civic authorities in the city. “Even though we rectify the problem as early as possible, fresh complaints start pouring in. It is happening on an unprecedented scale due to the developmental works,” said Principal General Manager of Mysore Telecom District T.V. Venkatram.

The underground BSNL cables become the first casualty whenever road is repaired, drains are constructed, and sewer or water pipes are laid. “Private players are relatively insulated from the problem not because their cables are cleverly laid. BSNL is worst-hit among all the telecom service providers as we have the widest network of cables,” said S. Muralidhara, Divisional Engineer, Udayagiri, Mysore Telecom District.

The ongoing works on Raja Marga are affecting hundreds of BSNL customers, who are complaining of disruption of landlines and broadband service, said BSNL officials. Under Raja Marga project, prime roads around Mysuru Palace including Sayyaji Rao Road are being upgraded. However, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Executive Engineer Krishna Bovi contended that the BSNL authorities are intimated in advance when developmental works are taken up. The onus is on them to be present on the spot to ensure that the underground cables of utilities are protected and shifted causing the least inconvenience to customers.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.