Hoardings weighing in tons risking lives!

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The hoardings have been erected in different corners of the city by 14 private agencies under the nose of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC).

However, it has come to notice that 3 tons of steel is required to erect one hoarding of 40x20 feet size and 40 tons of steel is required for one hoarding of 80x40 size. The state government had approved the sizes of hoardings, but it has been observed that there is a severe violation on a large scale.

If the speed of wind is 80-90 kilometres per hour then there is a danger that the hoarding may get uprooted and fall. A few months ago, an incident of hoarding collapse was held near Mahaveer Chowk. Fortunately, no human loss was reported.

Recently, a policy was made to use tins in the hoardings. The experts believe that there is a danger that the hoarding may fall due to strong winds. If just the frame is of steel then the hoarding canvas gets torn and the wind passes through it. Besides, there is a 99 pc chance that the hoarding may not fall. It has been noted that the hoardings in the city are not erected as per the prescribed norms. Many times, the agencies obtain permission to erect four hoardings in one place but prefer displaying a big size hoarding. The CSMC administration is a silent spectator to all these violations since a long time.

It may be noted that 99 per cent of hoardings are displayed or erected on CSMC land. The agency-owner, however, pays a very small amount as a rent of the land to the civic body. In 2022-23, through 420 hoardings, the CSMC had earned a revenue of Rs 11.81 lakh. It is learnt that the earnings of hoardings in one year could be in the slab of Rs 20-22 crore.

The state government has allowed the display of hoardings in 11 different sizes (measured in feet). They are 10 x 20; 20 x10; 20 x 20; 20 x 30; 25 x 25; 30 x 20; 30 x 30; 40 x 10; 40 x 20; 40 x 30 and 30 x15.

Meanwhile, the CSMC administrator G Sreekanth has alerted all the hoarding-owners in the city directing them to submit the structural audit report of the hoardings in their possession in the next seven days. If they fail to do so, the CSMC will initiate a criminal offence against them.