Knotty Affair: Maze of cables in Guru Arjan Dev Nagar gives it shabby look

Manmeet Gill

Amritsar, June 27

The misuse of electricity poles by private companies providing the Internet, cable network and telecom services in Guru Arjan Dev Nagar near Khalsa College here are distorting the beauty of the skyline. Residents complain that cobwebs of cable wires dangling from the utility poles are an eyesore.

“Whenever someone builds a house, the architect pays special attention to the design of the façade. Though a huge amount is spent on creating these designs, one cannot click a picture of the façade of his dream house

as these cobwebs are a sort of blot,” said Chander Parkash, a resident.

Residents say that private internet, telecom and cable providers should be asked to put their cables in a duct or preferably lay them underground so that the mess created by them is cleared.

The residents of the locality complain that a shabby-looking room at the entrance to the street which houses the electricity transformer should also be relocated as it has become a cause of inconvenience for people. The roof of the transfer room too is used by private companies to tie their cables.

They say that no communication cables should be allowed on the electricity poles. “Ideally, the municipal corporation should ask these communication companies to ensure that their cables do not affect the aesthetics of the area in any way or do not cause any inconvenience to the public,” said Balkar Singh, another resident.

Some municipal corporation officials have already stated that they are planning to write to these companies to seek permission from the department before laying any cable, residents hope that action would be initiated soon. At present, the MC seems to have no policy regarding laying cables by private companies as a result of which they are using every tree or utility pole for the same. The residents suggested that the Local Bodies Department should also set rules.