SHILLONG: Shillong is shedding its tangled canopy of urban clutter as the district administration rolls out a high-stakes campaign to tame the chaotic web of overhead telecom wires threatening the city’s scenic charm.
Directed by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and led on the ground by Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal, the rigorous beautification drive is aggressively reshaping how telecommunications infrastructure integrates into the capital’s landscape.
Inspecting the progress first-hand, Deputy Commissioner Baranwal revealed that initial streamlining efforts have already swept through major junctions across the city.
Municipal and enforcement teams have been systematically clamping cross-pole lines, pruning deadweight loops, and stripping away nearly 200 kilograms of obsolete hardware and abandoned wiring so far.
The operation moves beyond a surface-level sweep, establishing an uncompromising accountability framework for telecom service providers operating within city limits.
Under fresh mandates, strict regulatory boundaries have been drawn.
Telecom operators must strictly adhere to mandated minimum height requirements for all overhead lines and mandatorily tag their pole-mounted junction boxes and cable loops.
Baranwal made it clear that non-compliant infrastructure faces immediate dismantling and removal, leaving no room for corporate slackness.
Looking past the initial one-month completion window, the administration views the crackdown not as a temporary fix, but as a permanent shift toward disciplined municipal governance.
Delivering a clear message to operators who might attempt to re-string loose wires or bypass clamped bundles, Baranwal warned that any unauthorized cables will face swift cuts on the spot.
As Chief Minister Sangma continues to champion the preservation of Shillong’s visual aesthetics, this sweeping transformation marks a crucial turning point in urban infrastructure management for the hill capital.
(4FrontMedia news)
ALSO READ: CM Calls for ‘One Family’ Approach to Transform Meghalaya Tourism Sector
