Lok Sabha Question No. 2236 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-15
Subject: Damaging of Optical Fibre Cable Network
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: ANSHUL VERMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2236 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 TH  MARCH, 2017

## DAMAGING OF OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE NETWORK

†2236. SHRI ANSHUL VERMA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether reports have been received regarding digging ground for laying cables and thereby  damaging  optical  fibre  cable  networks  laid  by  BSNL  and  MTNL  by  various Government agencies;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise, including Delhi;
- (c) whether the Government has received any representation for timely repair of networks in Delhi; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken  by  the  MTNL  for  timely  repair  of damaged optical fibre cable networks?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited (MTNL)  have  reported  that  Optical  Fibre  Cable  (OFC)  is  being  damaged  by  various government agencies such as water board, power distribution companies, telecom companies, road owning agencies, gas pipeline companies etc.
- (b) Details of BSNL and MTNL are given at Annexure.
- (c)&(d) For Delhi, MTNL has received representations for timely repair of networks in Delhi.    MTNL  takes  prompt  action  for  restoration  of  OFC  network,  subject  to  technical feasibility and permission accorded from the municipal authorities/ road owning agencies.

Annexure

| OFC damage cases due to digging ground for laying cables by various Government agencies   | OFC damage cases due to digging ground for laying cables by various Government agencies   | OFC damage cases due to digging ground for laying cables by various Government agencies   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                                     | Name of the Circle / Maintenance Region                                                   | No. of times OFC damaged (2016-17)                                                        |
| A                                                                                         | BSNL :                                                                                    |                                                                                           |
| 1                                                                                         | Andaman & Nicobar                                                                         | 0                                                                                         |
| 2                                                                                         | Andhra Pradesh                                                                            | 88                                                                                        |
| 3                                                                                         | Assam                                                                                     | 0                                                                                         |
| 4                                                                                         | Bihar                                                                                     | 29                                                                                        |
| 5                                                                                         | Calcutta Telecom District                                                                 | 5                                                                                         |
| 6                                                                                         | Chhattisgarh                                                                              | 4                                                                                         |
| 7                                                                                         | Chennai Telecom District                                                                  | 0                                                                                         |
| 8                                                                                         | Gujarat                                                                                   | 1907                                                                                      |
| 9                                                                                         | Haryana                                                                                   | 17                                                                                        |
| 10                                                                                        | Himachal Pradesh                                                                          | 15                                                                                        |
| 11                                                                                        | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                           | 112                                                                                       |
| 12                                                                                        | Jharkhand                                                                                 | 0                                                                                         |
| 13                                                                                        | Karnataka                                                                                 | 1315                                                                                      |
| 14                                                                                        | Kerala                                                                                    | 0                                                                                         |
| 15                                                                                        | Madhya Pradesh                                                                            | 98                                                                                        |
| 16                                                                                        | Maharashtra                                                                               | 808                                                                                       |
| 17                                                                                        | North East-I (Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura)                                                |                                                                                           |
| 17                                                                                        | Meghalaya                                                                                 | 0                                                                                         |
| 17                                                                                        | Mizoram                                                                                   | 0                                                                                         |
| 17                                                                                        | Tripura                                                                                   | 4                                                                                         |
| 18                                                                                        | North East-II (Arunachal, Manipur, Nagaland)                                              |                                                                                           |
| 18                                                                                        | Arunachal                                                                                 | 9                                                                                         |
| 18                                                                                        | Manipur                                                                                   | 16                                                                                        |
| 18                                                                                        | Nagaland                                                                                  | 30                                                                                        |
| 19                                                                                        | Odisha                                                                                    | 429                                                                                       |
| 20                                                                                        | Punjab                                                                                    | 1                                                                                         |
| 21                                                                                        | Rajasthan                                                                                 | 380                                                                                       |
| 22                                                                                        | Tamil Nadu                                                                                | 1825                                                                                      |
| 23                                                                                        | Telangana                                                                                 | 270                                                                                       |
| 24                                                                                        | UP(East)                                                                                  | 144                                                                                       |
| 25                                                                                        | UP(West)                                                                                  | 0                                                                                         |
| 26                                                                                        | Uttarakhand                                                                               | 41                                                                                        |
| 27                                                                                        | West Bengal (West Bengal & Sikkim)                                                        |                                                                                           |
| 27                                                                                        | West Bengal                                                                               | 35                                                                                        |
| 27                                                                                        | Sikkim                                                                                    | 0                                                                                         |
| 28                                                                                        | Eastern Telecom Region (Long Distance OFC Network)                                        | 173                                                                                       |
| 29                                                                                        | Northern Telecom Region (Long Distance OFC Network)                                       | 192                                                                                       |
| 30                                                                                        | Southern Telecom Region (Long Distance OFC Network)                                       | 161                                                                                       |
| 31                                                                                        | Western Telecom Region (Long Distance OFC Network)                                        | 171                                                                                       |
| B                                                                                         | MTNL :                                                                                    |                                                                                           |
| 1                                                                                         | Delhi                                                                                     | 425                                                                                       |

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