HC directs agencies to remove hanging wires, cables in Chandni Chowk or face action

The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed various agencies including North MCD, MTNL, BSES and mobile service providers to comply with the order of removing hanging wires and cables in the Chandni Chowk area here which is undergoing redevelopment.

The high court made it clear that non-compliance of the order will invite contempt action against the agencies.

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, “We direct all the agencies including North MCD, MTNL and BSES, etc to ensure compliance so that all hanging wires and cables are removed. All service providers shall ensure compliance failing which we will be compelled to initiate contempt action.”

The bench passed the order following a plea by the counsel for nodal officers, appointed by the court earlier, that an inspection of redevelopment project of Chandni Chowk was carried out on December 28, 2020 and MTNL was not cooperating in the project and feeder pillars are yet to be shifted despite repeated directions in this regard.

Advocate Naushad Ahmed Khan, representing the Chief Nodal Officer and nodal officers of Shahjanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), said hanging wires and cables are required to be removed and sought direction to various agencies to remove wires.

To this, the bench remarked, “if those hanging wires are removed, half of the Chandni Chowk will be left without electricity”.

Khan informed the court that ‘redevelopment of Chandni Chowk project’ may be the theme of Republic Day tableau for Delhi for this year and the agencies were not adhering to the timeline.

The court was informed that the hanging wires on both sides of footpaths/ colonnades in the entire stretch are not electrical wires but they may be internet cables or DTH cables.

The nodal officers had directed to ensure removal of hanging wires by mobile service providers and cable operators from entire stretch by January 7 and also asked the officials of North MCD and Delhi Police to take punitive action in accordance with relevant provisions of Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and Defacement of Public Property Act, if it reappears in future after its removal.

The inspection was conducted of entire stretch of Chandni Chowk road that is from Red Fort road to Fatehpuri Masjid road.

(Cover: Credit – holidify.com)