Lok Sabha Question No. 358 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-23
Subject: Breakdown in Communication due to Rains
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.358 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  DECEMBER, 2015

## BREAKDOWN IN COMMUNICATION DUE TO RAINS

## †*358. SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY: DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Tele-communications  network  has  been  hit  very  badly  in  Tamil Nadu including Chennai due to recent rains and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the telecom network, both wireline and wireless has been restored by all concerned  telecom  operators  including  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (c) the present status thereof and the action taken by the Government to complete restoration of communication system;

(d) whether the Telecom Service Providers have also suffered heavy losses due to recent rains; and

- (e) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

Contd……2/-

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK    SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.358  FOR  23 rd DECEMBER,  2015  REGARDING  'BREAKDOWN  IN  COMMUNICATION  DUE  TO RAINS'.

- (a) Yes  Madam.The  telecommunication  network  in  Tamilnadu  including  Chennai service area has been hit badly due to recent rains. The details of telecommunication network affected operator-wise during the recent rains in Tamilnadu including Chennai Service area is enclosed as Annexure-I .
- (b) & (c) The details  of  Telecommunications  Network  (both  wireline  and wireless) restored  by  all  concerned  Telecom  Service  Providers  including  BSNL  is  enclosed  as Annexure-II .DOT  issued  prompt  directions  to  all  the  Telecom  Service  Providers regarding  measures  to  be  taken  to  restore  communication  facilities  in  Tamilnadu  & Puducherry.  Copy  of  the  said  direction  is  enclosed  as Annexure-III. DOT  also coordinated with all TSPs to ensure prompt implementation of the said instructions and mitigate the hardship of the affected people.
- (d) & (e) Most  of  the  TSPs  suffered  substantial  losses  of  revenue.  They  also suffered loss of resources like Battery/Power Plant, damages of Underground Cables, Exchanges / Base Transceiver Station (BTS) cards rendered faulty due to high voltage and entry  of  water  into  the  Exchange  premises.The  details  of  losses  suffered  by  the Telecom  Service  Providers  is  enclosed  as Annexure-IV .  Further,  the  TSPs  are restoring  their  network  on  their  own  as  per  business  imperative.  Government  has  no plan to compensate them in this regard.

Contd……..3/-

## Annexure-I

-  Thedetails  of  telecommunication  network  affected  operator  wise  during  the  recent rains in Tamilnadu including Chennai Service Area:

|        |                                 | Details of BTSs      | Details of BTSs                      | Details of BTSs               | Details of Exchanges                            | Details of Exchanges         |
|--------|---------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
| S. No. | Name of Operator                | Total number of BTSs | Number of BTSs in affected districts | Total number of affected BTSs | Total number of Exchanges in affected districts | Number of Affected Exchanges |
| 1      | Bharti Airtel Ltd.              | 25444                | 12285                                | 4977                          | 38                                              | 2                            |
| 2      | Idea Cellular Ltd.              | 5560                 | 5560                                 | 1703                          | 2                                               | 1                            |
| 3      | Vodafone Essar Cellular Ltd.    | 13555                | 6834                                 | 1663                          | 1                                               | 1                            |
| 4      | Reliance Communications Ltd.    | 5309                 | 5309                                 | 610                           | 0                                               | 0                            |
| 5      | Aircel Ltd.                     | 13306                | 5327                                 | 3664                          | 8                                               | 6                            |
| 6      | Sistema ShyamTeleServic es Ltd. | 1277                 | 434                                  | 355                           | 0                                               | 0                            |
| 7      | Tata TeleServices Ltd.          | 5894                 | 5760                                 | 2134                          | 11                                              | 7                            |
| 8      | Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited    | 8497                 | 3686                                 | 766                           | 902                                             | 55                           |
|        | Total                           | 78842                | 45195                                | 15872                         | 962                                             | 72                           |

## Annexure-II

The details of Telecommunications Network both wireline and  wireless restored by all concerned Telecom Service Providers including BSNL

| S.   |                                 | Details of BTSs      | Details of BTSs                            | Details of BTSs               | Details of BTSs                        | Details of Exchanges                             | Details of Exchanges               | Details of Exchanges               |
|------|---------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| No.  | Name of Operator                | Total number of BTSs | Total number of BTSs in affected districts | Total number of Affected BTSs | Total number of BTS restored till date | Total number of Exchange s in affected districts | Total number of Affected Exchanges | Total number of Exchanges restored |
| 1    | Bharti Airtel Ltd.              | 25444                | 12285                                      | 4977                          | 4977                                   | 38                                               | 2                                  | 2                                  |
| 2    | Idea Cellular Ltd.              | 5560                 | 5560                                       | 1703                          | 1703                                   | 2                                                | 1                                  | 1                                  |
| 3    | Vodafone Essar Cellular Ltd.    | 13555                | 6834                                       | 1663                          | 1663                                   | 1                                                | 1                                  | 1                                  |
| 4    | Reliance Communication s Ltd.   | 5309                 | 5309                                       | 610                           | 610                                    | 0                                                | 0                                  | 0                                  |
| 5    | Aircel                          | 13306                | 5327                                       | 3664                          | 3664                                   | 8                                                | 6                                  | 6                                  |
| 6    | Sistema ShyamTeleServi ces Ltd. | 1277                 | 434                                        | 355                           | 355                                    | 0                                                | 0                                  | 0                                  |
| 7    | Tata TeleServices Ltd.          | 5894                 | 5760                                       | 2134                          | 2134                                   | 11                                               | 7                                  | 7                                  |
| 8    | Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited    | 8497                 | 3686                                       | 766                           | 766                                    | 902                                              | 55                                 | 55                                 |
|      | Total                           | 78842                | 45195                                      | 15872                         | 15872                                  | 962                                              | 72                                 | 72                                 |

No.15-31/2014-AS.III/423/

To

## Government of India Ministry of Communications & IT Department of Telecommunications (AS-III) Section)

Dated 02nd December 2015

All Access Service Providers, National Long Distance (NLD) Service Providers VSAT Service Providers

Sub: Measures to restore communication facilities in Tamilnadu & Puducherry due to 'Rains'.

As  state  of  Tamilnadu  &  UT  of  Puducherry  affected  by  heavy  rains,  all  Access  Service  Providers  are hereby directed to take steps for immediate maintenance & restoration of telecommunication facilities in these areas and to facilitate the knowledge of well beings of relatives in these areas.

2. Further all Access Service Providers in Tamilnadu Service area including Chennai & Puducherry are directed to take following steps immediately:
- i.  To  share  available  infrastructure  including  intra  circle  roaming  arrangements  amongst  service providers authorized to provide Access Services (2G/3G or both as the case may be) in service area of Tamilnadu including Chennai & Puducherry for fifteen days unless extended otherwise.
- ii.  To  operationalise  immediately  call  centers  in  Tamilnadu  including  Chennai  &  Puducherry  with following helpline numbers for telecom services and missing person information.
4. 1948-Tamilnadu including Chennai & Puducherry
- iii. To helpline number shall be accessible from other service areas.
- iv.  A  call  centre  with  access  code  1070  has  been  opened  in  Chennai.    These  numbers  shall  be operationalised immediately and accessible from other service areas without STD code for 1070.
- v.  To  transmit  messages  of  advisories  through  SMS  from  State  Government/Central  Government /NDMA/Metrological Department to all subscribers in Tamilnadu including Chennai & Puducherry.
- vi. To transmit helpline numbers to all their subscribers through SMS.
- vii. Submit a report by 0700 Hours every morning & 1500 hrs in the afternoon by email to DDG(TERM) Chennai and Dir (AS-III) in the enclosed format.
- viii. The above shall be operational for fifteen days unless extended otherwise.
3. All endeavour shall be made to provide Wi-Fi hotspots (by using VSATs or otherwise) in relief camps being organized by respective State/UT Government on the lines of facilities provided during J&K floods. PCOs may also be provided in such relief camps and other appropriate locations.
4.  Mobile  Base  Station (COW) may be deployed at district magistrate offices in case the need arises. Such more base stations (COW) may be deployed in the affected districts on priority basis to provide communication  facilities.  Diesel  may  be  stored  in  sufficient  quantity  and  necessary  arrangement  be made to diesel generating set at base stations to ensure communication facilities.
5. All National Long Distance (NLD) service providers and VSAT Service Providers should also extend help to  meet  the  challenge  by  sharing  infrastructure  for  immediate  restoration  of  Telecommunication facilities.
6.  DDG(TERM), Chennai shall be the nodal co-coordinating officers with respective State Govt./NDMA Units and all service providers in that State.

## The Contact details are as follows:

Shri P. Jagadeesan, DDG (TERM) Chennai Office Address:  3 rd Floor, Kellys Telephone Exchange, 22, Kellys Road, Chennai-600010

Office Ph: 044-26451000 Res: 044-26534300

Mobile: 09444219933

Email: ddgvtmchn-dot@nic.in

## Copy to:

- i. Chief Secretary, Tamilnsadu/Puducherry with a request to restrict the SMS messages to 70 charecters in vernacular language and 150 characters in English language.
- ii. Secretary, TRAI, New Delhi
- iii. Sr. DDG (TERM), DoT New Delhi
- iv. DDG (TERM), Chennai with a request to compile the report and forward it by 0800 hrs in the morning and 1600 hrs in the afternoon positively to Director (AS-III), DoT Headquarter at diras3-dot@nic.in with a copy to DDG (AS-I), DoT
- v. JS (DM), MHA, New Delhi with a request to restrict the SMS messages to 70 characters in vernacular language and 150 characters in English language.
- vi. DDG (DS), DOT, New Delhi
- vii. DDG (CS), DOT, New Delhi

viii. VSAT Service Provider Association of India/ COAI/ AUSPI

- S/d -

(P.K. Mittal) DDG(AS-I)

Tel: 011-23717050

(M): 09868136077

Email: ddgas1-dot@nic.in

mittalpramodk@gmail.com

## Annexure-IV

The  details  of  losses  suffered  by  the  Telecom  Service  Providers  due  to  recent  rains  in Tamilnadu including Chennai service area

| Sl. No.   | Name of TSP                    | Estimated Revenue loss (Rs)                                                | Loses on account of Equipment/Material                                                           | Loses on account of Equipment/Material                                                                                                           |
|-----------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | Name of TSP                    | Estimated Revenue loss (Rs)                                                | Amount (Rs.)                                                                                     | Details of equipment/material                                                                                                                    |
| 1         | Aircel Ltd.                    | 4 Crore                                                                    | Approx7 Crore                                                                                    | BTS, SMPS, UPS, etc                                                                                                                              |
| 2         | Bharti Airtel Ltd.             | 0.9 Crore (approximate)                                                    | 40 crore (approximate)                                                                           | Work in progress for estimation                                                                                                                  |
| 3         | Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.      | UNDER ESTIMATION                                                           | 34.55 Crore                                                                                      | RSU,Underground Cables, BTS,Power Plant,Battery,DG and Transmission Equipment                                                                    |
| 4         | Idea cellular Ltd.             | 2.55 crores                                                                | 0.84 Crore                                                                                       | Equipment damage in 28 sites                                                                                                                     |
| 5         | Reliance Communications Ltd.   | 1 Crore                                                                    | 1.4 Crore                                                                                        | CDMA BTS , GSM BTS & Power plants at BTSs sites                                                                                                  |
| 6         | Sistema ShyamTeleServices Ltd. | Detailed Estimation is under process along with Finance and Technical Team | 0.68 Crore                                                                                       | Base Band Unit/Remote Radio Unit/IDR/ISR/Outdoor Unit/ Control CARD/Channel Data CARD/Power Module CARD/ Small form-factor pluggable(SFP MODULE) |
| 7         | Tata TeleServices Ltd.         | Calculation Work in progress by Authorised Auditors                        | 3.99Crore                                                                                        | GSM BTS's , CDMA BTS's and Transmission equipment like IDU and Mux's of 39 sites were fully submerged in water.                                  |
| 8         | Vodafone Essar Cellular Ltd.   | 30 Crore (Approx.) Final estimated loss is yet to be arrived at            | 30 Crore (Approx.)- Survey of losses is in process. Final Estimated loss is yet to be arrived at | BTS, UPS, DC power plant, SMPS, DG sets, Inverters, Battery for UPS/SMPS, Air- conditioners, Electrical Panels                                   |

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