Karachi: 07th March 2020 – K-Electric has launched a large-scale operation to remove unauthorized and hazardous cable TV and internet wires illegally encroaching on electricity poles throughout the city. During the operation, KE teams removed over 35,000 kilograms of these cables from its power infrastructure in different parts of the city. These cables and related infrastructure such as cable boxes and signal boosters damage KE’s infrastructure, jeopardize the integrity of the electricity system, affect service provision and bypass electrical safety mechanisms thus creating public safety hazards. As per several investigations, these unwarranted TV and Internet cables, and switches for streetlights installed on electric poles have been found to be the underlying cause of numerous incidents and dangerous accidents involving electrocution that have taken place in the city in the past.
K-Electric has already initiated legal proceedings against the unwarranted use of electricity infrastructure via a Constitutional petition filed in the High Court of Sindh on October 8, 2019, which includes as respondents, cable TV and Internet companies, the city administration, municipal bodies and concerned regulators. In the petition, the power utility has submitted that the power infrastructure is continuously being infringed upon and encroached by cable TV providers and Internet companies, and that these have to be removed to ensure reliable and safe supply of electricity, which is the power utility’s mandate. KE hopes that the directives of the honorable Court will galvanize all concerned stakeholders into action, in the absolute interest of the citizens of Karachi.
Several notices sent to these providers to remove their paraphernalia in the past have gone unnoticed. The power utility has also approached the city administration, Commissioner Karachi as well as other stakeholders and regulatory bodies on several occasions requesting that they play their requesting that they play their due role in ridding the city of these unauthorized cables in the interest of public safety and the safe and reliable supply of electricity. Despite directions by city administration to the cable operators to shift their paraphernalia underground without any delay, there has been very little progress in this regard. K-Electric is thus left with no choice but to remove these hazardous cables, in the interest of public safety.