KMC to shift overhead wires to underground cable ducts at 15 city roads

Kolkata: In a bid to clear the clutter of overhead wires in the city, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has already started a project whereby such wires in a total of 15 city roads are being shifted to an underground cable duct and has also instructed other agencies to whom a particular cable belongs, to attach stickers to that wire for identification.

With the KMC frequently getting complaints about the jungle of overhead wires in the city, especially at places such as Burrabazar, Kidderpore among others, the civic body has already initiated a process of transferring cables underground through a cable duct.

Talking on the issue, the KMC Municipal Commissioner Binod Kumar said: “We have already done a pilot project at Harish Mukherjee road where the cables have been shifted underground. KMC has taken up a project that is being implemented in two phases. In the first phase, five roads have been selected where wires are being shifted underground and in the next phase 10 roads have been selected.” The five roads in the first phase of work are Belvedere Road, Alipore Road, Judges Court Road and Baker Road.

He said KMC has also asked other agencies whose wires are running overhead to ensure they are tied up neatly.

He said that KMC has also instructed the agencies concerned to ensure there is one wire per pole. Kumar regretted that despite several meetings with industry stakeholders plans about how they can financially help KMC to take the wires underground did not yield any result.

Kumar further highlighted that presently agencies have also been asked to attach stickers to the wires belonging to them for easy identification so later there is no there are no problems when it is shifted underground.