Cyclone Vardah: Greater Chennai Corporation issues notice to telecom operators

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation has issued demolition notices to telecom operators after concerns were raised over the safety of mobile phone towers in the aftermath of cyclone Vardah.

When it made landfall, Vardah uprooted trees, tore banners, billboards and brought down mobile phone towers in several localities across the city. According to the corporation, the notices have been issued under Section 258 of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919, which permits the Corporation Commissioner to take "precautionary action in case of dangerous structures", such as ordering the owner to demolish the said structure after issuing a notice.

"We have so far issued around 500 notices. It has come to our notice that many (mobile) towers that fell were erected without obtaining prior permission from



the corporation. A few towers were erected in locations and heights deemed unsuitable for its sustainability under the impact of strong winds," said a corporation official.

If there is no response from owners, the Commissioner can exercise powers to bring down any dangerous structure, according to Section 370 of the CCMC Act.

Meanwhile, the corporation has suspended two of its staffers manning the cyclone Vardah control cell at Ripon Buildings for under-reporting of complaint data. Executive engineer Veluchamy and superintending engineer Vincent were suspended, pending inquiry, for under-reporting the number of complaints received on Whatsapp numbers.

TOI had earlier reported that the control cell was inadequately staffed to handle the number of complaints that poured in, after Vardah struck the city.