GANGTOK: Theft of fibre-optic cables, this time, the coordinated mischief and impact suggesting intentional harm, ensured that mobile phones and internet connectivity in Sikkim were severely affected all of Tuesday. It took extensive efforts at repairs to allow these communication necessities to begin hobbling back to normalcy today. [it happened last month as well, click here for details]
The BSNL telecommunication backbone, into which most service providers plug in, was disrupted across the State for nearly the whole day on Tuesday.
Speaking to NOW! today, the Assistant General Manager, BSNL, Tshering Dukpa, informed that optical fibre lines were cut and stolen near Lava [in Kalimpong Sub-Division of West Bengal] and near Mirik [beyond Darjeeling], leading to the collapse in the communication network. Both attempts were made almost simultaneously in the early hours of the day yesterday, it is learnt.
This, along with the fact that fibre-optic cables are useless and command no resale value after they have been cut [unlike the telephone cables which yield copper], have led many to suspect intentional mischief to keep Sikkim isolated.
Be that as it may, the snapping of these lines meant that Sikkim, which links out through the Lava line and uses the Darjeeling-Siliguri cables via Mirik as an alternative, was extensively affected.
Interestingly, even the microwaves signals which service Sikkim are sourced wireless from Darjeeling from where it travels overland again to Siliguri. This explains the erratic connectivity reported by mobile phones and even 3G users yesterday.
The BSNL AGM here confirmed that because of the disruption, banks and offices dependent on online connectivity were severely affected.
Interestingly, in an unrelated development, the Sadar Thana caught a group of miscreants red-handed at Rongneck as they were trying to steal jelly-filled fibre-optic cables there.
The BSNL AGM today urged the people of Sikkim to support and assist BSNL-Sikkim in minimizing such acts by reporting such attempts to steal telecommunications equipment immediately to the police.
[SAGAR CHHETRI]
There is a simple solution to this problem and I don't know why BSNL does not put it into action. Use the high tension cable towers of NHPC stage V for conducting the OFCs from Sikkim to Siliguri.
ReplyDeleteThe stage V cables pass from Singtam to the Bengal plains via Mirik. No one can cut them as they are placed right on top of the towers and protected by the high tension lines.