SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government will soon launch a targeted pilot project to streamline and remove defunct overhead communication cables across Shillong.
Announced by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday, this initiative is part of a phased strategy to enhance the capital city’s aesthetic appeal and bolster its urban infrastructure ahead of the upcoming National Games.
To execute this cleanup operation, the government is bringing together multiple key stakeholders, including the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the Deputy Commissioner, and various local service providers. The immediate focus will be placed entirely on major junctions, high-visibility highways, and primary arterial roads.
While the ultimate goal includes transitioning utility lines underground, the government has explicitly deferred underground power cabling to a later phase. Chief Minister Sangma clarified that shifting power cables underground requires a massive financial investment and poses severe logistical challenges.
Initiating such a project right now would require extensive road digging to create utility ducts, which would inevitably trigger severe traffic disruptions and further paralyze an already heavily congested city. Consequently, the administration has opted for a realistic, two-phased approach, prioritizing the immediate organization of overhead communication lines over an immediate overhaul of the power grid.
The government intends to move quickly, with the pilot project expected to commence within a few days. Administrative strategy sessions have revealed that a large number of the cables currently dangling across the city are completely out of use, and local telecom operators are willing to cooperate with the administration to discard them.
Given the limited timeframe remaining before the National Games, Sangma conceded that it is impossible to clear the entire city all at once.
However, by concentrating efforts on the most prominent main roads and central intersections, the government aims to maximize the visual impact and significantly improve the overall look of Shillong in time for the prestigious sporting event.
