Er.energyNP@Gmail.com

Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, has said that all concerned agencies must work with shared responsibility to effectively manage disorganized and unused overhead cables and accelerate underground cabling in the capital. He stated that the positive results seen after cable management work in the New Road and Bishal Bazaar areas would be expanded to other parts of the city.

On Monday, Minister Shrestha and Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Dr. Bikram Timilsina, conducted a joint field inspection in various areas of the Kathmandu Valley. They reviewed the progress of the cable management campaign, discussed challenges, and held talks with relevant agencies on future plans.

The ministers visited areas including Gaushala, Old Baneshwor, and Jadibuti, where they inspected the ongoing removal of unused internet, telephone, and television cables that had been hanging from utility poles for years.

During the inspection, Minister Shrestha emphasized that the campaign to remove unmanaged cables cannot succeed through the efforts of a single ministry or institution alone. He stressed the need for effective coordination among regulatory authorities, service providers, and local governments. According to him, the campaign is not only about improving urban aesthetics but is also directly linked to public safety, organized infrastructure development, and the creation of a modern city.

Meanwhile, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dr. Bikram Timilsina expressed dissatisfaction that the first phase of the project, which had been committed to completion by Shrawan 15 (according to the Nepali calendar), had not progressed as expected. He instructed the concerned agencies to complete the work within the set deadline so that citizens can see tangible results and warned that action would be taken against organizations or individuals responsible for unnecessary delays.

He further clarified that unused cables must be removed immediately and that the service providers who installed the cables on utility poles must also take responsibility for managing and removing them. He also directed concerned agencies to immediately report any legal, technical, or administrative obstacles to the ministry and instructed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to ensure effective regulation, coordination, and implementation of a clear action plan with a defined schedule.

In the first phase, the government is carrying out the campaign to remove unmanaged and unused cables along six major routes:

Tripureshwor - Kalimati - Kalanki

Jadibuti - Pepsicola

Tripureshwor - Lazimpat

Samakhushi - Town Planning - Gongabu

Kirtipur

Old Baneshwor - Gaushala - Chabahil

The government plans to expand the initiative to other areas based on the experience gained from this pilot project.

Chairman of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Arjun Ghimire, said that although the monsoon season had caused some delays, the authority aims to complete the first phase within the next 15 days. He explained that progress has been affected by difficulties in identifying the ownership of many cables, the absence of identification tags on several cables, and restrictions on carrying out work in road areas during daytime.

According to the authority, cable removal work is currently progressing rapidly in the Old Baneshwor - Gaushala - Chabahil corridor. The campaign is also being gradually expanded to other priority areas identified by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. In addition, all telecommunications and internet service providers have been instructed to place mandatory identification tags on their cables indicating their organizational ownership.

On Asar 31 (Nepali calendar), the government directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Nepal Electricity Authority, Nepal Telecom, Ncell, and the umbrella organization of internet service providers, ISPAN, to prepare a unified action plan and complete the first phase within the specified deadline. Earlier, on Jestha 28, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority had issued a public notice announcing the phased campaign to remove unused and disorganized cables across different parts of the capital.

According to the government, unmanaged overhead cables have increased risks to public safety and negatively affected the city's appearance. The government has pledged to continue this time-bound and results-oriented campaign with the goal of making the capital safer, more organized, and more modern.

During the inspection, the two ministers also reviewed the condition of the electricity distribution infrastructure. The government stated that it is simultaneously moving forward with the necessary legal reforms to support the cable management initiative.