KOCHI — The Kochi Municipal Corporation (KMC) has kicked off a comprehensive drive to remove low-hanging overhead cables that have become a growing hazard across the erstwhile Ernakulam municipality area. Commissioner R. Anil Kumar confirmed that the operation, set to cover all wards over the coming weeks, will ensure that every offending cable owner — including telecommunications providers, power distribution companies, and private agencies — bears the full cost of rectification.
The initiative comes after a spate of incidents in which residents, particularly two-wheeler riders and pedestrians, were injured when tangled or sagging cables snapped during heavy rain and strong winds. In several cases, cables belonging to different service providers had been haphazardly strung across roads and lanes, creating a death trap during monsoon months.
Under the new enforcement framework, KMC engineers will conduct inspections ward by ward, identifying every instance of substandard cable height. Notices will be issued to the responsible agencies, directing them to either elevate the cables to the prescribed minimum clearance of 5.5 metres from the road surface or shift them underground at their own expense. The corporation has stated that it will recover the cost of compliance through deductions from security deposits already held with the municipal body, or through direct recovery proceedings if necessary.
Officials said the corporation had received numerous complaints from residents and local representatives over the past several months. "These cables are not just an eyesore — they are a serious threat to public safety," an unnamed senior KMC official said. "We have tried persuasion before. Now we are moving to strict enforcement."
The drive is expected to involve close coordination with authorities such as the Kerala State Electronics Development Mission, local telecom circle offices, and the South Western Railway section that oversees some of the overhead lines in the city. Residents have welcomed the move, calling it long overdue, though some have warned that sustained follow-up will be essential to prevent the problem from recurring.
