Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

`Yawning' threat on roads

By G. V. Prasada Sarma

A trench dug for telephone cables near the Collectorate in Visakhapatnam remains uncovered, posing a threat to vehicles. Photo: K. R. Deepak

Visakhapatnam: "Dial before you dig" is a notice put up by the telecom authorities, to protect their underground cables. With several telecom service providers in the field, there is more connectivity now, and more trenches too.

They seem to forget what should be done after digging, if the trenches appearing on several thoroughfares in the city are any indication.

There is every chance of a pedestrian landing up in one of the pits dug for cables, telecom or power, if he is not cautious. With no warning sign, the trenches pose danger even during daytime. At night and when it rains, they turn out to be veritable mines.

Accident-prone

At the trench dug on the road leading to Beach Road from the Collectorate, a bus, a car and a two-wheeler got stuck recently.

Such trenches abound on the Siripuram Road too. Since the work is for expansion of telecom network, it can't be stopped either.

But who digs them, who restores them, who monitors them, and more importantly what is the time taken for restoration are the nagging questions for which no answers are forthcoming.

VMC norms

"Though rules are laid down, it is difficult to keep track of the progress,'' say the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation officials.

The VMC follows a procedure according to which it estimates the restoration charges and after payment gives permission with certain terms and conditions.

The agency, which digs the road has to restore it partially by filling it up. The final layer and full restoration will be done by the VMC.

The agencies generally hand over the work to a contractor. If the work is in progress, it is expected that a sign cautioning road-users will be kept. If he does not do so, the price will be paid by unwary road-users.

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