Pune: Nearly four months after Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) issued an advisory seeking compliance, cable operators have finally come forward to discuss shifting of overhead cables into an underground network and regularisation of their operations.A meeting was held at the civic headquarters on Monday, attended by municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi, elected representatives from both the ruling and opposition parties, cable operators, and officials from various PCMC departments.“The meeting was positive, and the cable operators have agreed to cooperate. They requested some time to implement the directives, which was mutually agreed upon,” a senior PCMC official present at the meeting told TOI. He added that their only concern was regarding the charges for regularisation and operations, stating that they should be affordable. The civic body assured them it would take the necessary measures.The civic body currently has no policy or standard operating procedure (SOP) to regulate overhead cables, having just begun the process of framing an SOP in May. However, despite repeated appeals, operators had not submitted their applications for permissions or recommendations for the proposed SOP until Monday’s meeting.“The draft SOP is now ready. It will be discussed with the operators, and changes will be made, if necessary, based on their recommendations. It will then be placed before the general body for final approval. Once approved, the SOP will apply to overhead cables across the city,” said Mahesh Kawale, joint city engineer, PCMC.Municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi asked operators to submit their operational documents and obtain the required permissions, warning that action would be taken against unauthorised cable networks. He said PCMC plans to shift all overhead cables to its underground network within a year and urged operators to cooperate.PCMC has an underground pipe network spanning around 610 km for utility cables. “The civic body will provide cable operators access to the network at nominal rates to facilitate the shift,” Suryawanshi said.He added that unauthorised cables posed a safety risk and affected the city’s aesthetics. Operators have been directed to remove cables laid on trees, electric poles, buildings, footpaths, and other unauthorised locations. The commissioner warned of strict action against those failing to comply.Operators were also asked to identify and remove non-operational cables dangling over roads. According to civic officials, at least 25 operators attended the meeting. Civic officials estimate there are likely around 400 cable operators operating across Pimpri Chinchwad.“PCMC is known for its digital services, and cable operators play an important role in maintaining the city’s digital infrastructure. To perform this role effectively, it is essential that they comply with regulations and establish cable networks through authorised means,” said Prashant Shitole, leader of the house at PCMC.In May, the civic body asked operators to submit their operational documents within 30 days and obtain the necessary permissions. However, no operator had approached PCMC for permissions for nearly four months.
