Pimpri Chinchwad, 21st September 2026: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi has warned cable operators of strict action if they fail to remove unauthorised cables laid on trees, electricity poles, buildings, footpaths and other unauthorised locations.
Suryawanshi said unauthorised cables not only pose a safety risk to citizens but also affect the cityтАЩs aesthetics. Cable operators must obtain the necessary permissions under the Telecommunications Act and PCMC rules before laying cables, he said.
He was speaking at a meeting with representatives of cable operators on the regulation of overhead cables and the proposed standard operating procedure (SOP) at the late mayor Madhukarrao Pawale Hall in PCMCтАЩs main administrative building in Pimpri.
The meeting was attended by deputy mayor Sharmila Babar, ruling party leader Prashant Shitole, opposition leader Bhausaheb Bhoir, chairpersons of various civic committees, municipal officials and representatives of cable operator companies.
The meeting discussed measures to make the cityтАЩs cable network more planned, safe and organised. Issues including safety concerns caused by overhead cables, unauthorised cable networks, visual pollution, underground cabling and the proposed SOP were discussed.
Suryawanshi said cable operators should shift to an underground cable network to make the system safer and more systematic. The civic body has around 610km of underground pipe network available for laying cables and plans to provide access to this infrastructure to cable operators at nominal rates.
He asked all cable operators to formally apply for the facility and said the civic body has set a target of shifting the cityтАЩs cable network underground within the next year. Cooperation from cable operators would be crucial to achieving the target, he said.
The commissioner also directed operators to immediately remove cables that are defunct or not currently in use. If unauthorised cables are not removed by the operators themselves, the civic administration will take action to remove them and may disconnect the corresponding connections, he warned.
Deputy mayor Babar said cable operators were also citizens and therefore had a responsibility to ensure public safety. She said unauthorised cables were contributing to the cityтАЩs visual clutter and warned that strict action would be taken against operators who failed to remove them despite repeated notices.
Ruling party leader Shitole said operators should lay cables only after obtaining the required permissions and completing the necessary documentation. He said the civic body was seeking a coordinated solution by discussing the issue with all stakeholders, but warned that PCMC may have to take strict action if operators failed to comply with regulations.
Opposition leader Bhoir said regulation of overhead cables was necessary while giving priority to public safety, orderly use of public spaces and the cityтАЩs appearance. He urged operators to remove unauthorised and unused cables immediately and prioritise underground cabling.
Meanwhile, PCMC is preparing an SOP to regulate the cityтАЩs cable network. The SOP will cover cable-laying procedures, permission requirements, use of underground infrastructure, removal of unauthorised cables and dismantling of defunct or unused cables.
Cable operators were briefed on the proposed regulations through a presentation during the meeting.
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