Knotty Affair: Cobwebs of cables distort skyline in Majitha Road, White Avenue localities

Manmeet Gill

Amritsar, June 26

The cobwebs of electricity wires along with cables of internet companies, telecom operators and cable network providers have distorted the beauty of the skyline in the localities of Majitha Road, White Avenue, Himmat Avenue and New Greenfield areas.

The dangled wires can be spotted on each and every streetlight and electricity pole in the area. Residents complain that due to the cable mess on electricity poles, it is difficult for electricians to rectify technical snags.

The misuse of poles of PSPCL meant for holding electricity transmission lines by private companies to put their cables continues unchecked in the city for the last many years. Earlier these poles were used only by cable network providers, but now a large number of internet providers are misusing these.

“These private companies have also used trees and walls of the buildings to tie their cables. The Amritsar Municipal Corporation should ask these companies to put their cables underground and it can also charge fee from them and the money so earned can be used for the development of the city,” said Sudhir Kumar, a resident.

Residents say that the cobwebs only deface the city and it should be taken seriously. “Most of the old electricity poles have been installed in such a way that they lead to disruption in the smooth movement of vehicular traffic,” said another resident Balwinder Singh, adding that the electricity transmission system in the city too needed improvements or modifications.

Residents say that even though the city receives huge funds under the Smart City and Heritage City projects, the dangling cables are a blot, besides giving it an ugly look.

“The MC should come up with a policy with regard to use of public space for laying cables by private companies. It seems that the MC does not have any knowledge about the firms which have put up these cables,” said Ranbir Singh, a resident.