Milled road exposes violations in laying of fibre optic cables

Milling of roads has exposed gross violation of rules by telecom companies in laying fibre optic cables and lax monitoring by Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) in ensuring norms are followed. According to sources, telecom cables must be laid three feet below the road surface, and electric cables under four feet. Also, cables should not be laid in the middle of a road.

But Race Course road, which was milled recently, telecom cables are laid in the middle of the road and within one foot of the surface. Since the road is yet to be relaid, motorists complain that they skid on the cables. Members of the road safety committee urged the civic body to fix the problem and ensure cables are laid as per specification.

S Suresh, a two-wheeler rider, said, “The road was milled two months ago, but is yet to be re-laid. Telecom cables pass in the middle of the road, which makes the surface slippery and poses a threat. To compound the problem, stones are placed on either side of the cable to warn road users.”

K Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore consumer cause and member of district road safety committee said, “No government department or private player is allowed to lay cable in the middle of a road. Ducts or channels should be laid only by the side of a road. What has happened here is a clear violation of rules. Officials should have monitored the work.”

R Udhayakumar, president of Coimbatore Corporation Contractors Association, said, “After the Chief Secretary’s order, we mill the roads before laying the bitumen layer. Cables laid close to the surface makes it difficult to mill the roads. We have no choice but to cut the cable.”

When contacted CCMC Commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara, he assured that he would look into the issue. The New Indian Express