Sunday, Sep 05, 2004
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Thiruvananthapuram
By Our Staff Reporter
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 4 . Responding to the threat posed by rickety advertisement hoardings, the City Corporation today moved to impose a strict licensing and monitoring system for display boards. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by the Mayor, J. Chandra, to discuss curbs to address the accidents caused by careless installation of boards and hoardings. As the first step, the Corporation will launch a crackdown to remove all unauthorised hoardings and those posing a danger to pedestrians and motorists. The meeting discussed a memorandum submitted by the Kerala Advertising Industries Association seeking a stay on the removal of hoardings without the mandatory stability certificate from a structural engineer or a permit from the local body. Based on the memorandum, the meeting resolved to grant conditional renewal for advertisement hoardings on applications submitted before June 2004. Accordingly, hoardings with a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Public Works Department PWD or National Highway and those cleared by the local body will be maintained. Thereafter, all hoardings will have to secure an annual renewal certificate from the Corporation before March 31.
New conditions
The new conditions stipulate a mandatory clearance from the Corporation's superintending engineer. Advertisers seeking to install hoardings on top of terraced buildings and public places within the city will have to submit an application with a stability certificate from an approved structural engineer along with a plan and sketch. The Corporation will retain the authority to remove any hoarding that poses a danger to citizens, even if it is installed on the basis of a stability certificate. Advertisers have been directed to display the term and order number issued by the Corporation on all hoardings. The order will be applicable to existing and new hoardings. The local body has warned that any advertisement flouting these directions will be removed.
Insurance
The meeting also decided to insure advertisement boards and hoardings and introduce a security deposit on the basis of size and locational importance. Early last month, a 14-year-old school boy was killed and 13 other inured when a large advertisement board on top of a building at Nemom collapsed in strong winds. The incident had led to a flurry of demands from the Opposition parties in the Corporation council to compensate the families of the victims and impose public safety norms Many of the advertisement boards in the city are erected on rickety frames and flimsy scaffoldings. With no stay wires to secure the boards, they are prone to topple in windy conditions. The absence of air vents to reduce wind resistance is cited as another reason contributing to structural instability. Civic officials accuse advertisers of compromising on safety by using cheap materials. Advertisers feel that it is up to the Corporation to ensure that safety norms are adhered to.
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