The city is growing fast and at the same pace visual pollution is increasing with various types of advertisement displays including billboards coming up at every nook and corner.
Friday’s strong gales in Hyderabad blew down two huge billboards which caused extensive damage to several parked cars. The incidents are reminder of these unmonitored displays and their structural stability. Unfortunately, the municipal corporation seems to be unwary of the mushrooming of billboards on rooftops and roads.
It may be worth mentioning that a man was killed on the spot on May 6 in neighbouring Tadepalli of Guntur district after a billboard erected on a rooftop fell on him following heavy rain and strong gales. The City also witnessed falling of several billboards during rainy season.
Private agency
City planner P. Pradeep Kumar said the VMC does not have any specific data on the billboards as the entire business is operated by a private outdoor advertising agency for which the contract had been given.
He said the corporation earned about Rs. 12 crore through the agency. “The agency informs us about erecting new hoardings whenever needed and permission is accorded after inspection,” he said.
A majority of the multi-storey buildings on either side of the M.G. Road and Eluru road have a billboard on the rooftops making the roads look like a jungle of shiny hoardings.
District Fire Officer D. Niranjan Reddy said though there is no written mandate that the hoardings need to have an NoC from the Disaster Response and Fire Services department, it is necessary to have one for safety. However, none approaches us for permissions or guidance, he added.
In the metros it is mandatory for advertising agencies to secure structural stability certificates for each hoarding considering the position, height, weight, size of display and other factors.
“The strength of the base of the hoarding and other parts need to be checked often to assess its stability. Even before installation it is tested and in case of billboards on huge poles the durability and weight of the metallic should be considered,” said S. Rupesh, a civil engineer.
Meanwhile, property owners are making money by giving their rooftop space for rent to advertising agencies which pay anywhere between Rs. 10,000 and lakhs depending on the popularity of the road and availability of space.
