Team Herald
Panjim: Schools, banks, commercial establishments, co-working spaces, media offices – large parts of the Capital were crippled without internet all through Tuesday as the Electricity Department’s axe fell on the cables that had left a tangled mess on power poles, creating an eyesore in the ‘Smart City’.
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However, the cutting of cables – the electricity department says only 43 of them were snipped – left an equally big mess on the roads and the internet highway, as commercial establishments and home connections went kaput. The chaos this created finally forced the government to appoint North and South Goa Electricity Department Nodal Officers to oversee the cable-laying process, relieving Executive Engineer Kashinath Shetye from his duties as the nodal officer. Earlier in the day, he had insisted to the media that only 43 cables were cut and work at Goa Medical College had not got affected.
The cable-cutting was a result of an order on Monday from the High Court of Bombay at Goa, which refused to give relief to internet service providers (ISPs) who had approached the court seeking a halt to the cable-cutting activities.
However, the move has sparked widespread criticism from ISPs. Raghu Shetye, a representative from DNA Goa, criticised the electricity department’s actions, claiming it had issued an inflated bill of Rs 1.80 crore for the use of their poles. “There should be a clear basis for such bills. There is none,” Shetye asserted. He also raised concerns over the impact of the cable removals on local residents.
Mangirish Salelkar, President of the Goa Technology Association, called for intervention from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, urging him to resolve the ongoing disputes between ISPs and the relevant departments. “This disruption is affecting vital services, including educational institutions, banks, insurance companies, and the media. The situation must be addressed swiftly,” Salelkar said.
Molly Fernandes, President of the Cable Operators Association, encouraged operators to cooperate and make necessary payments to the Electricity Department and Public Works Department (PWD) for the underground fibre installation.
Residents affected by the outage took to social media to voice their frustrations. Anish Albuquerque shared his displeasure, saying, “Bundles upon bundles of tangled wires hanging off poles. And then, one day, action is taken! The mess must be cleared. The poles must be freed. The internet providers must learn a lesson. Down come the cables. Result? No internet at home. No internet at work.”
On Tuesday, several key institutions, including the Panjim Head Post Office, State Bank of India (SBI), and prominent schools in the city, were left without internet. A promoter from a major internet service provider, speaking anonymously, warned that disruptions could escalate further. “If the cable-cutting reaches Patto on Tuesday, which is a key junction serving all of Goa, the impact will be devastating for internet users across the state,” the source said.
