Mumbai: Copper thieves put 1,000 MTNL phones out of order

Hello can someone look for a way to keep our phone wires safe Residents of Mulund are fed up after thieves stole MTNL copper wires from three locations disconnecting around 1000 users on SaturdayThe locals want the authorities concerned to take action But while Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited MTNL officials have filed a complaint with Mulund police asking them to probe the matter the Mulund police have suggested that MTNL keep vigil to ensure no theft takes place This is the second time that the thefts have taken place even in February approximately 1000 users were disconnected after a theftThe MTNL copper wires were stolen from three spots including from here in a nullah opposite Runwal Anthurium PicsRajesh GuptaOn Saturday morning MTNL officials started getting calls and messages from residents and officials of various establishments saying their landline connections were disrupted When officials started inspecting the line they found the wires had been cut at 3 different locations disconnecting around 1000 usersldquoTwo of the three locations where the thefts took place are under nullahs while one is at a ductrdquo said an MTNL official who did not wish to be named ldquoApproximately wires admeasuring 10 metres were cut by the thieves They cost around Rs 2 lakh Due to this theft phone lines around the station have been disruptedrdquo he addedAlso read Ghatkopar couplersquos mysterious death Will police bungling trash yet another caseThe thefts have caused disconnection of lines at banks post offices the rationing and tehsil office Several household phones are down In the month of February as well on the intervening night of the 10th and 11th wires admeasuring 30 metres were stolen by the thieves disconnecting around 1000 usersLocals annoyedSamir Kalsekar an engineer at Priyadarshini Indira Gandhi Sports Complex said ldquoWe have 6 phone lines all of them are down Residents swimming pool members and people who want to book the Natya Mandir face a lot of hurdles due to this We hope the problem is resolved soonrdquoAn official at a government run bank said ldquoAs all the lines are down we are facing a lot of issues About 13 banks in Mulund have been affected We are helpless as MTNL officials say they dont know how much time it will take to restore the connectionsrdquoMTNL wires from the nullah opposite Zenith Tower were also stolen PicRajesh GuptaRajesh Shrivastava a resident of PK Road said ldquoThere has to be some way that this theft can be prevented MTNL officials claim they are dependent on the police and the police says MTNL should look after their lines In the end we consumers sufferrdquoldquoThe disconnection has become nuisance for me and hundreds of my patients I have been practicing at this location for 40 years and many of my regular patients have shifted from here Many times patients come to the clinic and donrsquot find merdquo said Dr Yogesh Shah who has a clinic at PK Road According to MTNL officials the wires are inside fiber tubes and if someone wants to cut the wires they will have to first cut the tubes and then start cutting the copper wires which will take at least an hour Also to carry such a heavy load there have to be at least 4 to 5 people So the police who are on night patrol should spot anyone doing thisThe disconnected wires will take at least a month to be reconnected as work on the lines cut in February is still going on ldquoThe process to reconnect is humongous Two to three men have to sit and connect each and every connection It takes a lot of time we donrsquot know when all lines will be restored We have lodged a complaint with Mulund police on Mondayrdquo another MTNL official saidlsquoMTNL not botheredrsquoAn officer at Mulund police station said ldquoMTNL officials where their lines are and the spots vulnerable for thefts They should have some measures to avoid this but they dont botherrdquo ldquoIn the year 2022 we received a complaint from MTNL based on which 5 accused were arrested and cables admeasuring 20 metres recovered We are probing the latest complaints filed We have also advised MTNL officials to keep a wire mesh or install a gate and keep vigil at vulnerable locationsrdquo said Kantilal Kothimbire senior inspector Mulund police stationSpots the thieves struck in Mulundgtgt Inside a nullah in front of Zenith buildinggtgt Inside a nullah in front of Akesha furnishings store at PK Roadgtgt Inside a nullah in front of Runwal Anthurium