Hyderabad: Empty advt hoardings across city pose threat to citizens

Hyderabad: After the ban on billboards by the Directorate of Enforcement Vigilance & Disaster Management (EV&DM) wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) from June 2020 and subsequent removal of advertisements to make Hyderabad a 'distraction-free' city, the huge hoardings remain untouched posing threat to people.

Concerns are being raised over the empty hoardings which are not being maintained or being removed by the advertisement agencies or the EV&DM department. The Municipal officials, who earlier inspected the structural strength of hoardings, have not inspected them in the last two years.

With winds lashing during nights in the city for the last two days, people residing in buildings where hoardings have been installed are facing threat as the unipoles were not repaired for the last two years and those weak hoardings may collapse due to winds.

Earlier, there have been several incidents of hoardings falling resulting in loss of property and life. After the implementation of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) GO (Government Order) 68, all the advertising structures were pulled down. However, most of the official and unofficial hoardings in the city are still there.

Earlier, the Municipal Corporation officials use to inspect the structural strength of hoardings and give directions for their repair or replacement. But in the last two years, no official has inspected the hoardings and this could prove danger to people with monsoons just a few weeks away.

Speaking to The Hans India, Vijay Gopal, founder of Forum Against Corruption said, "Though the advertisements were removed, the huge structures still remain. They have been neglected in the last two years as no official checked for their strength. The weak hoardings pose threat to people and the property."

Gopal further said that ahead of monsoons, the EV&DM should conduct a drive and remove all the hoardings that are not in use.

According to GHMC officials, there are registered advertising structures, which include 2,618 hoardings/unipoles, 1,202 bus shelter ads and others. It identified

333 illegal hoardings and removed a few of them. Most of these illegal hoardings set up two or three decades ago and have become weak due to lack of maintenance. The GHMC had previously served notice on the agencies asking them to remove the illegal hoardings, but in vain.

"Unauthorised hoardings and flex boards mushrooming at many areas here in the city are posing a threat to commuters. Many people are placing flex boards and hoardings without prior permission from the GHMC. Most of these boards, including political flex boards, which are being placed beside roads, on medians and on such spots, are blocking the view of roads and causing accidents," said an official from GHMC.

M Kumar, a resident of Khairatabad, whose apartment is close to the railway tracks said, "The agency has installed the hoarding frame about 20 years ago and I had also received rent for that. But in the two years, the hoarding frame has become weak and needs repairs as it may collapse at any time. The agency said that their contract has been completed and it is the GHMC that should remove it."