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Following a fire that broke out Tuesday night in a tangled network of electricity and telecommunications cables in the Thapathali area, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha expressed serious concern over the incident and immediately initiated coordination with the relevant authorities to address the issue.

Concerned about the potential threat to public safety and property caused by the fire, Minister Shrestha visited the site early Wednesday morning for an on-site inspection. During the inspection, he warned that the haphazardly managed cables could lead to a major accident at any time and stressed that there should be no delay in resolving the problem.

At the minister’s initiative, coordination has begun among the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), telecommunications service providers, internet service providers, Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and other concerned agencies.

He instructed the relevant authorities to immediately manage the hazardous cables and implement a long-term action plan for the systematic management of electricity and telecommunications wiring.

Minister Shrestha stated that public safety remains one of the government’s highest priorities and emphasized that effective cooperation among all stakeholders is essential to finding a permanent solution to such problems. He also clarified that the campaign to organize and properly manage the long-disordered electricity and telecommunications cables across various parts of the capital will be intensified.

Residents have also called on the concerned authorities to take effective action, saying that unmanaged overhead cables in Thapathali and other parts of the capital have increasingly posed serious safety risks.

Jalasarokar