Transport Ministry relaxes rules for laying of telecom/ optical cables along highways

2 Aug 2022 , 08:46 AM

The transport ministry has loosened rules on clearances needed from the Highway Administration in an effort to hasten the deployment of telecom and optical fibre cables. It has been determined that it is no longer necessary to discuss various safety approvals. Additionally, the application must only include information on the licence obtained from the telecom authorities.

The applicant was required to provide information regarding previous safety clearances from organisations like the State/Central Pollution Control Board, the Directorate of Electricity, the Chief Controller of Explosives, the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization, the Oil Industry Safety Directorate, and others.

Additionally, it has been agreed to do away with the requirement to post applications in the public domain and solicit claims and objections based on potential public discomfort when building underground telecom and optical fibre cables within the Right of Way (RoW) section of national highways.

The decree from the Transport Ministry stated that applications for optical fibre or telecom cables “need to be processed swiftly and approval must be given within 30 days.” Approval shall be presumed to be given if there are no claims or objections to the proposed cables, as it was previously stated.