To restore the damaged telecom network due to the earthquake on Saturday, Telecom Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) Secretary, Rakesh Garg to initiate measures.
“Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has instructed the Telecom Secretary Garg to take stock of the damage done to the communication network in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh due to earthquake and initiate measures to restore network in both private and public sector at the earliest,” DoT said in a statement.
Chief General Managers of BSNL in Bihar and UP have also been directed to assess damage and draw emergency plans to restore communication in the affected areas, it said.
“Instructions have also been given to inform the Minister on hourly bases on the progress achieved,” the statement said.
Massive tremors were felt in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab during this afternoon that lasted for about a minute, triggering panic and forcing people to rush out of their houses and offices.
A high intensity quake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, with epicentre in Nepal, on Saturday rocked many parts of eastern and northern India, including theNational Capital Region.