Bhubaneswar: Residents of Sahid Nagar here are facing a telecommunication blackout as WATCO’s (Water Corporation of Odisha) ambitious project of ‘24×7 water supply’ being undertaken in the area is cutting into telephone lines.
Aiming at the improvement in and round-the-clock supply of water to residents, the WATCO had initiated the project for 14 selected ULBs (Urban Local Bodies) across the state in May this year. The work at Sahid Nagar began this week with digging up of the roads through excavators and JCB machines.
However, giving scant regard to the existing underground cables laid by the BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), the agency which is undertaking the work under contract (under the WATCO) has reportedly ripped apart the telecom cables during the initial phase of laying of the water supply pipes.
“It has been five days since our landlines have been out of order. The BSNL’s landlines are an important part for LAN (Local Area Network) internet connections for which we pay heavily. More than 100 households are now being deprived of the phone connection,” a resident of Sahid Nagar said this taking to Twitter.
While telecom woes of residents of Sahid Nagar have just begun, people of Pokhariput, Unit-6 and other areas too have had their share of worries when the project began earlier in May. The project which aims at improving efficiency in drinking water supply in the city will see works at Sahid Nagar over by September end. The project is estimated at about Rs 12 crore in its phase-wise development.
Responding to the issue, BSNL, General Manager, DK Behera said, “We too are facing heavy losses due to the works but we are in coordination with the authorities concerned. The restoration works have been slow as our hands are tied after the outbreak of the pandemic. With lesser workforce and the necessary infrastructure, the repairs are taking the time.”
However, understanding the grievances of the people, Behera said that the customers who are facing inconveniences will not be charged until the restoration of the services. “People can write and submit applications to the local office to avail the rebates,” Behera added.
Meanwhile, WATCO’s General Manager Guru Charan Das stated that they have been aware of the issue but termed the loss as ‘concomitant feature’ of the project works. “Bhubaneswar is a complicated city. There are intricate underground networks of which we are mindful. However, sometimes paths cross and destruction is unavoidable,” he said.
Aviral Mishra, OP