Pune: PMC to Act Against Illegal Overhead Cables in Pune, SOP to Be Finalised in One Month
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 5th February 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to initiate strict action against illegal overhead cables that are causing visual pollution, safety hazards and revenue losses across the city. A standard operating procedure (SOP) will be prepared jointly by officials from PMC, BSNL and MSEDCL to define how action will be taken against unauthorised cables.
According to civic officials, the SOP report will be submitted within one month. After that, enforcement drives will begin to remove and penalise illegal overhead cables in different parts of Pune.
As per PMC regulations, cables related to mobile services, internet, television channels and electricity are required to be laid underground. However, large sections of these networks are currently installed overhead, leading to urban clutter, safety risks and financial loss to the civic body.
Officials said that broken and hanging cables often fall on roads, creating hazards for two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. Several accidents have been reported due to vehicles skidding over loose cables, while pedestrians face frequent obstruction on footpaths.
In 2021, the PMC Standing Committee had appointed an agency to identify illegal cable networks. The agency submitted its report to the road department in December 2021, revealing that private telecom companies had laid around 7,740 kilometres of illegal overhead cables. The civic body had proposed a penalty of ₹12,191 per metre with a threefold fine. If the recovery had been completed, PMC could have earned at least ₹10,000 crore in revenue.
A recent civic survey has again found that nearly 7,440 kilometres of unauthorised overhead cables exist across the city.
The issue was discussed in detail at a meeting of the City Transformation Cell held at the PMC on Thursday. Members expressed concern that the growing number of illegal cables is disfiguring the city and creating serious risks to public safety. The need for immediate control and enforcement was strongly emphasised.
Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram directed officials from PMC, BSNL and MSEDCL to jointly frame a clear SOP on how action should be taken and submit a detailed report.
