Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has registered losses worth Rs 4.06 million in 2014 so far due to 277 incidents of cable thefts. In comparison, the operator had faced loses worth Rs 71.3 million due to 1,232 incidents of cable thefts in 2013.
The maximum numbers of incidents of cable theft were reported from Himachal Pradesh, which accounted for 248 incidents out of the total 277 cases in 2013. Last year too, the state had reported a maximum of 1,128 cases out of the total incidents of 1,232 causing huge financial loss to BSNL.
To prevent such incidents, BSNL has laid down a majority of cables underground, except in remote and hilly areas. However, despite adequate measures put in place, the operator is witnessing theft of overheads cables in different parts of the country.
BSNL?s losses from cable theft in 2010-11 and 2011-12 stood at Rs 24.8 million and 20.29 million, respectively. Besides, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and North East were among the regions that reported cable theft incidents in the last three years.
