The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Flags aflutter, billboards shine at medians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 21, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Flags aflutter, billboards shine at medians — but at what cost?

K. Manikandan

Structures on medians along any NH prohibited

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

MENACE: Flagpoles on medians pose safety hazards to motorists. A recent scene on GST Road.

TAMBARAM: The death of a 19-year-old after he was hit by a lorry while removing flagpoles from the median on Grand Southern Trunk Road early on Tuesday has only exposed the dangers surrounding such structures.

S. Sakthivel of Orathanadu in Thanjavur district, along with Moorthy (38), was removing the poles at 12.30 a.m. on Tuesday when they were hit by a speeding lorry. While Sakthivel died on the spot, Moorthy sustained injuries.

Flags belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravidar Kazhagam were erected on the medians in connection with the Chief Minister’s visit to Chengalpattu, the police said. After attending a function, the Chief Minister and his convoy crossed Tambaram at 11.10 p.m.

A contractor was engaged to remove the flag poles between Tambaram Sanatorium and Irumbuliyur.

While Moorthy was pulling a tricycle along, Sakthivel was pulling out the flagpoles and loading them on the vehicle when the lorry carrying iron beams rammed the tricycle.

The Tambaram Traffic Police (Investigation) have a registered a case under Section 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code.

No safety measures

They said the contractor had not taken any safety measure while engaging the men. Neither lights nor reflective jackets were provided to the workers.

Top officials of the National Highways Authority of India and Chennai City Roads Wing of State Highways Department said installation in any form – be it flag poles, advertisement hoardings or other structures – on the medians of the GST Road or any National Highway, were prohibited.

Even local bodies did not have powers to permit organisations from installing flag poles or advertisement hoardings, “but might is right,” remarked a top officer of the Highways Department, who did not want to be named.

At vital traffic points

Apart from flagpoles on medians, political parties and other organisations place hoardings even at vital traffic points, which cause severe inconvenience to pedestrians, commuters waiting in bus stops and other road-users.

Recently, a giant arch was placed on the GST Road in Perungalathur in connection with a building inauguration.

The arch had eaten into a considerable space of the carriageway of the GST Road and the structure remained there nearly a week. Traffic police said it was not within their powers to pull up organisations, politicians or other individuals who installed such structures that intruded into public space.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu