HÀ NỘI – Work to shift the overhead electrical and telecommunications cables that criss-cross downtown Hà Nội had been slow, said the Hà Nội Department of Construction.

In June this year, the municipal People’s Committee asked for all overhead cables to be buried underground and for the street lighting to be upgraded, said the department.

So far, only six out of 10 districts have started work on the project, namely Ba Đình, Hoàn Kiếm, Đống Đa, Thanh Xuân, Hai Bà Trưng and Cầu Giấy.

According to the construction department, the main reason for the slow progress was that the city had requested power and telecom companies to work on the project at the same time to save time and money as well as avoid overlapping.

The reality is that the requirement has caused some obstacles because if one of the parties involved is delayed due to issues regarding labour or finances, the others are held up too.

Overhead intertwined electrical wires and telecom cables, locally referred to as ‘spider webs’, have been a characteristic of big cities like Hà Nội and HCM City for years.

The tangled wires are making the city ugly and pose a threat to people’s lives.

This was the fourth time the city had tried to move the cables underground to improve the city’s image and safety, reported online newspaper baotintuc.vn.

However, the work that started in 2016 was still incomplete on 69 streets.

Last year, the plan was to move the cables underground on 45 streets, but the Hà Nội Power Corporation and Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group only completed the work on five streets.

The delays stem from the fact the power and telecom companies had not submitted their plans for approval.

Meanwhile, uncompleted works on some streets had caused inconvenience and safety risks for residents.

The work on Lạc Long Quân Street is an example.

Work has been going on for three months but due to slow progress, piles of dismantled wires and cables now cover the sidewalks.

On some sections of the street, due to a lack of co-operation between the power and telecom companies, wires and cables were swaying overhead posing a threat to road users, the paper said.

“I used to worry about the bundles of wires and cables in front of my house because they sagged under the weight and looked like they could collapse at any time,” said Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, a resident on Lạc Long Quân Street.

 “I felt relieved when the city announced plans to bury them underground,” Tuấn said.

“But my relief was short-lived because the work has not been completed, leaving the street in chaos and wires swaying over my head,” he added.

Along Thụy Khuê Street, the pavement has been dug up but the cables are still hanging overhead.

“They dug the trenches months ago but they still haven’t buried the cables. The street is always dusty on hot days and muddy on rainy days,” said Nguyễn Thị Bích.

Lê Văn Dục, director of the Hà Nội Department of Construction, said the city had requested the companies to ensure safety and limit the negative impacts on people’s lives.

“Slow progress that causes inconvenience and poses safety risks o some streets will be inspected and sanctioned as per regulations,” said Dục. – VNS