How internet blackout during TGSPDCL's power cable fixing drive brought Hyderabad to its knees

Hyderabad: Jobs of hundreds of people were put at risk after the internet was suddenly shut down in several parts of Greater Hyderabad on August 19.

This comes after the state power department woke up to the recent electrocution incidents and decided to address hanging and dangling wires. In that process, the overzealous officials also unplugged the internet, risking the jobs of hundreds of professionals.

A direction came from Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who asked to remove unauthorized cable wires from electric poles on a war footing.

The order was issued after eight people were electrocuted in Ramanthapur and Bandlaguda during religious processions.

What is disturbing is that the cable and internet wires of Airtel, Jio, and other companies are also attached to the old wires, which are creating major problems for consumers.

During the earlier clearance drive, many internet service providers complained that the electricity department officials removed or damaged the internet providers' wires in the residential colonies and localities.

Netizens accused the TGSPDCL of putting them on the brink of losing their jobs. Many pointed out that the move would have been planned well. Netizens advised the government to do proper homework and prepare better before making such a big decision.

Statement by COAL:

Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) blamed the electricity department for indiscriminate and aggressive cutting of optical fiber cables.

“In recent days, there have been significant problems with fiber-to-home connectivity in Hyderabad due to cable cuts by TGSPDCL. Today, a major network outage is affecting a large number of home broadband users in the city. This disruption has been caused by the electricity department’s indiscriminate and aggressive cutting of optical fiber cables. The COAI wishes to highlight that internet cables do not carry electricity and are therefore unrelated to power infrastructure,” said Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, COAI.

He said the industry is actively working to resolve the issue and restore services as quickly as possible. “We urge the department to refrain from such indiscriminate actions, as they result in severe disruptions to internet connectivity, which is now an essential service,” he said.

Official statement-

Managing Director of TGSPDCL Musharraf said a major drive to remove hanging/ dangling wires has been taken up across Greater Hyderabad and in major towns of Telangana.

“It is (campaign) an age-old backlog drive primarily in the interest of people. These wires have been piled up for decades, and many are dysfunctional, as well. Some are extremely low-hanging (as low as 6 feet) and pose a severe threat to pedestrians and motorists. Also, this is very risky during festivals or religious processions," he said.

Musharraf noted that for the last one and a half years, TGSPDCL has held several meetings with cable operators.

"We asked them to remove wires that are dysfunctional and systematically arrange the rest. Currently, we are removing only the dangling wires that can cause harm to citizens. The drive is taken up strictly, keeping in view the Ganesh Puja season. Please note, only the dysfunctional wires and low-hanging harmful wires are bundled up on electrical poles are being removed. The drive is being done in the best interest of the public and functionaries,” he said.

This is not the way, you cannot simply disrupt the services which impact many working professionals. You must notify respective ISP providers for necessary action.@airtelindia @reliancejio pls restore services in impacted areas ASAP. Suncity (Bandlaguda Jagir)- said Ajaz Saifuddin.

Why don’t you think of impacts before doing something…? Internet is not working in most of places in city. Apudu apudu ayina mind use cheyandi ra @INCTelangana Rastraniki patina shani meeru