About 350 hoardings posing danger to public

About 350 hoardings posing danger to public
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About 350 hoardings in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits have been identified as unsafe as these come up in violation of all the parameters specified by the corporation.

​Hyderabad: About 350 hoardings in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits have been identified as unsafe as these come up in violation of all the parameters specified by the corporation.

This information has been revealed in a recent survey conducted by a high-level committee comprising senior civic body officials.

The GHMC commissioner had recently said that the corporation would not spare any advertisement agency if found guilty and claimed that top priority would be given to public safety rather than focusing only on revenue generation.

According to GHMC sources, the ground level advertising wing staff has been hand-in-glove with the advertisement agencies and has been allowing them to openly flout norms and erect them at locations which cannot be easily identified by GHMC officials from the head office.

They said that about 350 hoardings across the city are unsafe and are posing a threat to commuters and residents.

Some agencies have even erected hoardings at the height of 100 ft in places like Khairatabad, Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Himayathnagar, Kukatpally, Dilsukhnagar and Begumpet.

Sources said that these agencies have taken permission to erect a hoarding measuring 100 x 70 sft, but instead have erected 100 x 100 sft hoarding in violation of the norms.

Such structures, according to experts in structural safety, can collapse even during moderate wind, thereby resulting in huge loss of property and life as well.

Responding to queries, GHMC commissioner B Janardhan Reddy told The Hans India that the corporation would not spare any agency found violating norms.

He said that the agencies should set up hoardings as per the parameters recommended by JNTU-H professor N V Ramana Rao committee.

He said all mounted and ground hoardings up to 40 x 25 sft would be permitted for advertisements after JNTU assesses the structural safety. “Design certification and rectification will be done before the financial year,” he said.

Similarly, hoardings on rooftops would be limited to 30 x 25 sft, placed on buildings not exceeding two-storied after inspection and certification by JNTUH.

Janardhan Reddy said the above two cases were being considered as there is less risk involved. He said permissions would be given on tentative basis to keep the industry alive without compromising on safety parameters.

The GHMC Commissioner further said that structural engineers, who issue structural stability certificates to set up hoardings, would be held responsible in the event of an accident that results in damage to property and loss of life.

He stressed that GHMC would initiate legal action not only on advertisement agencies, but also private agencies. He said that priority would be given to public safety rather than revenue generation.

Also Read: 100-cr loss yearly

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