Despite GHMC's ban, hoardings pop up across city

Hyderabad: Turning a blind eye to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation's ban on hoardings and flex banners, several outdoor advertising agencies are still putting up hoardings. Several flex banners and hoardings were spotted at Narayaguda, Himayathnagar, Khairatabad, Dilsukhnagar, Ameerpet and several other parts of the Old City.

Public safety norms have been further thrown to the winds by several advertising agencies who increased the height of their hoardings to grab greater attention. This has been done at prime locations, especially near flyovers, bridges and foot overbridges, with the excuse that this had to be done as the metro rail project was hampering their visibility.

The GHMC ban on flex banners and hoardings came in the wake of the havoc unleashed by the heavy rain, when several of these were torn, broken and came crashing on the roads, thereby posing a threat to passing cars and pedestrians.

The GHMC had asked advertisement agencies to put a stop on putting up hoardings until August 14 in order to minimise the damage of property and loss of life. 

The number of hoardings on private buildings too has shot up after the ban. Such hoardings which have been erected illegally do not posses structural stability certificates issued by structural engineers. Such structures can collapse even during moderate wind, thereby resulting in huge loss of property and life. 

A GHMC official said that the corporation has been keeping a strict vigil on hoardings. 

He said that the corporation will impose heavy fines on all residential properties and will have a meeting with property owners and explain to them about the dangerous aspect of erecting hoardings without obtaining permission.