NMC to restore trenches, charge cos for digging nod

Nagpur: Finally, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has realized that Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), telecommunication companies and other agencies are not restoring trenches and digs in a proper manner after laying cables. Now, NMC will be doing the restoration on its own and recover charges before giving permission for trenching and digging the roads.
Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B in the capacity of administrator has utilized the powers of general body and revised the policy related to permission for trenching and digging of roads. The revision has been done following a series of reports by TOI pointing out failure and improper restoration by MSEDCL, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited and other agencies causing potholes and serious inconvenience to citizens and financial loss to the cash-strapped civic body.
In 2016, NMC had given relaxation in charges to MSEDCL for trenching and security deposit citing that underground power cable laying is for betterment of city.
TOI had many a time highlighted that private agencies trenching roads for MSEDCL have not done proper restoration. NMC zones offices have also reported bad condition of roads due to MSEDCL failure in restoration.
In the revised policy, NMC has made restoration charges mandatory from telecommunication and other agencies, and even MSEDCL for trenching and digging of roads.
“Rates are different for water bound macadam (WBM), tar and cement concrete roads. NMC will appoint contractors on rate chart basis for a year. After laying of cables, the contractor will begin restoration in a systematic manner. This is likely to end complaints related to improper restoration,” NMC officials said.
The officials further said that restoration charges will not be recovered from companies if using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) technology for laying cables. “In HDD technology, only pits are created for erecting chambers. So, there is question of restoration,” they said.
NMC is not taking action against its own contractors and ensuring proper restoration. A contractor had dug up many roads from Hingna T-point to Sahakar Nagar ghat for laying storm water drain network. Restoration was not done properly resulting into craters, especially at T-point on London Street road behind Sahakar Nagar crematorium.
Same is the issue with trenches dug by private water operator Orange City Water Private Limited. In the last couple of months, a NMC contractor has trenched roads in many residential areas for laying power cable for streetlight poles. The contractor has not restored the trenches properly.
NMC is paying restoration charges as part of contract but overlooking inferior quality of works.
--------------------------------------
POLICY REVISED
* NMC used to take supervision, trenching charges for permitting trenching and digging of roads to lay power or optical fiber cables etc
* MSEDCL was exempted since 2016 citing it as a government agency and underground power cables are for betterment of city
* TOI had reported about MSEDCL and other companies not restoring roads causing serious inconvenience and financial loss to NMC
* Municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B revised the policy using the powers of administrator
* Now, NMC will appoint contractor for restoration