The Power Division has instructed removal of all kinds of cables hanging from electric poles in six areas of the capital within May. Otherwise, electricity lines will be disconnected.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid gave the instruction at a meeting with the stakeholders, including NTTN and ISP companies.
After the meeting, Nasrul Hamid said, ‘Finally, we have decided to remove all kinds of hanging cables in Dhaka city. The hanging cables are the main barrier to uninterrupted electricity supply.’
‘All kinds of hanging cables like dish, internet and other companies cables will be removed at Mohakhali DOHS, Gulshan society, Niketan society, Motijheel, Banani and Karwan Bazar within May, 30. The hanging cables will be removed from other areas in Dhaka city in phases,’ he added.
It was also decided at the meeting that the Power Division will send a letter to the Home Ministry, and Post and Telecommunication Ministry to remove CCTV and other cables.
Among others, Power Secretary Dr Sultan Ahmed, additional secretary of energy and mineral division, Abul Mansur, Managing director of Power Distribution Company and other organization representatives were also present at the meeting.
Sylhet is the first city in the country to have a road with no overhead cables. Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) successfully initiated underground power lines in the Dargah Gate area and removed all overhead cables and electric poles recently. State-owned Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC) and Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO), now engaged in power distribution in the city, had undertaken a project to take their overhead electric cables underground in Dhanmondi and Gulshan areas.
On 31 October last year, the Power Division constituted a committee, headed by its joint secretary (good governance and APA), Abul Khayer Md. Aminur Rahman, to prepare a report on required actions for removing all the overhead cables hanging from electric poles.
Internet service providers and cable TV operators are stringing up illegal overhead cables all over the capital. The messy tangle of these cables, along with the cables of telephone and electricity lines, are not only an eyesore, but also pose a risk for accidents. It is also a great threat to uninterrupted power supply.
The government committee formed to remove these illegal cables said that despite removing the cables several times, the cable operators and internet service providers simply hang them up again. In many places, these illegal cables are seen entangled with telephone and electricity lines, as well as with the pole electricity transformers. The transformers, wrapped with all these cables, can burst anytime and cause serious accidents.
Following the model of many developed countries, the Bangladesh government has set up Nationwide Telecommunication Transmission Network (NTTN), an underground common network system that does not require any overhead cable. All the cables can be connected to an underground management system, and without interrupting the internet connection, the cables can be connected to the system within 24 hours.