The BBMP has decided to crack the whip on telecom companies that have not taken permission to install mobile towers and overhead cables. Private agencies and telecom companies that have overhead cables on TenderSURE roads will be given 15 days to reroute them through the underground ducts, said BBMP officials.
“Only one company is using the underground ducts,” said a BBMP official.
In June, the BBMP control room received several complaints of cables hanging low following heavy rain, and posing a danger to pedestrians and residents of houses nearby.
According to the BBMP, there are more than 10,000 telecom towers in the city, of which nearly 90% have been installed without taking permission from the civic body.
“Our officials have issued a notice to telecom companies seeking details of the number of towers. Only one company has provided this information so far," said M.K. Gunashekar, Chairman, BBMP Standing Committee on Tax and Finance.
Telecom companies have to pay a one-time fee of ₹50,000 for each mobile tower. The BBMP has given them 15 days to apply for permission and pay the fee.
A similar deadline has been given to people who have put overhead cables without permission.
A major reason for laying cables in a haphazard manner was the lack of regulation. In January 2016, the Urban Development Department issued a draft policy of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Regulation of cable laying) Rules to regulate the sector.