Hyderabad: Single poles holding up advertising hoardings – known as unipoles – will not be allowed in the city once the GHMC introduces the Hoarding Policy.
The municipal body is looking at banning huge advertising poles like the one that had crashed in Jubilee Hills due to high velocity winds. GHMC will instead allow rectangular digital boards similar to those in foreign countries.
While according officially there are 2,684 poles, a private survey found another 6,000 unauthorised ones. Hyderabad mayor B. Rammohan said, “GHMC is looking at banning all huge advertising hoardings especially at signals, bridges, foot over-bridges and on buildings.Once the Hoarding Policy is introduced, similar to that of Kolkata and Delhi, digital hoardings will be permitted at bus stops and roadside spaces.”
After the fall of a massive unipole at Jubilee Hills which damaged three new cars, the GHMC had ordered hoardings and unipoles that were 15 years or older to be removed or strengthened to withstand wind speeds of up to 150 km. Hoarding owners were warned to remove all unauthorised poles, or cases would be booked against them.
For existing hoardings, the GHMC’s advertising wing staff have been instructed to inspect unipoles with flexies in the city, mainly on the prime routes.
Officials said every hoarding and unipole must have a AIN number registered with the GHMC along with phone numbers of the ad agency so that they can be contacted immediately if any untoward incident occurs.
