Agitated mob obstructs telecom restoration work in Amphan-hit areas of West Bengal

Telecom restoration work was hampered in the areas hit by super cyclone Amphan in West Bengal on Saturday as people continued agitation due to disruption in electricity and water supplies for the last three days, according to industry bodies.

The telecom industry bodies claimed that despite challenges of power outage and frequent fibre cuts, mobile service providers have been able to restore entire 4G services and the networks are operating at around 75 per cent level.

"Telecom connectivity in the cyclone hit areas of West Bengal - Kolkata, Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas districts has improved today by about 8-10 per cent. It is now working at 75 per cent level. Entire 4G network has been restored. Telecom companies personnel today faced mob violence. People were agitating for power and water supplies," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews told PTI.

He said that despite the challenges telecom companies have been able to improve the network.

"Telecom secretary (Anshu Prakash) this evening has asked telecom companies to bring connectivity to 95 per cent level by Monday evening. Telecom infrastructure companies have augmented their teams, DG sets etc to expeditiously restore networks," Telecom infrastructure body TAIPA Director General TR Dua said.

He said that work was hampered because people were agitated due to no electricity and water supplies for the last three days.

"We have sought police and army help. The restoration work is going on now," Dua said.

The cyclone-hit areas have around 8,500 mobile towers on which around 36,000 base stations of different operators run.

The fiercest cyclone to hit West Bengal in 100 years destroyed mud houses and crops, and uprooted trees and electric poles.

The damageto the trees and electric poles have also adversely impacted optical fibre that inter-connects telecom towers for mobile services.