KARACHI – K-Electric (KE) has successfully removed more than 800 meters of unauthorized cable TV and internet wires from its electricity poles in various parts of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. This is part of KE’s ongoing campaign to rid the city’s power infrastructure of encroachments which are not only unwarranted but also pose a severe public safety hazard as experienced in the past.
According to KE’s Spokesperson, “Despite several public notices issued by KE to Law-Enforcement Agencies and other relevant authorities, some cable TV and internet providers continue with the hazardous practice of installing their cables on electricity poles all over the city. These create an unsafe environment by compromising the integrity of the electricity system and lead to public accidents.”
KE’s field teams regularly conduct drives to rid the power infrastructure of illegal kundas and unauthorized TV and Internet cables, yet they continue to reappear and pose a challenge to the safe and reliable power-supply to the customers. Spokesperson added, “In a Constitutional petition filed in the Honorable Sindh High Court, KE has submitted that the power infrastructure is continuously being infringed upon and encroached by cable TV providers and internet companies. The power utility further submitted that cables and other equipment mounted on electricity poles are at times live and are capable of transmitting up to 400 volts. Furthermore, these cables are installed without adhering to the applicable electrical safety mechanisms creating a severe hazard for the public as well as for the employees of the power utility.
In the absolute interest of the citizens of Karachi, KE has been engaging with all concerned stakeholders so that they recognize their due role in providing an enabling environment for the power utility to operate by enforcing basic urban development protocols in a planned manner across the city and to eliminate the issue of encroachments, illegal connections as well as the unwarranted use of the infrastructure.
