A week after fire at BSNL exchange, 9,000 lines still remain disrupted

CHENNAI: IT has been a week since a major fire at one of the blocks of the BSNL exchange in Harbour area snapped several thousands of landline connections. Till date, Chennai Telephones has managed to restore only 80 per cent of the connections. At least 9,000 lines are yet to be restored.

Speaking to Express, Chennai Telephones spokesperson G Vijaya said the exchange handles 29,000 working lines and 3,000 broadband connections. Of these, 20,000 lines have been restored till date. She said BSNL director Vivek Bansal had held a meeting with the officials here to discuss the revival plan.

The Harbour exchange, housed in a 5-storey building, is a major centre for Chennai Telephones. Now, small exchanges linked here have been re-routed to other major exchanges. “This was possible due to our vast network and teamwork which enabled rerouting of services quickly,” Vijaya said.