Banner menace in Hyderabad puts citizens’ lives in danger

HYDERABAD: Illegal billboards promoting political leaders have encroached most of the city’s roads, covered houses and traffic signals, endangering the lives of the aam aadmi, who are left wondering why the GHMC is doing nothing to put an end to this cheap publicity.
A drive along any road in the city will reveal the brazenness with which local leaders of all political parties, and small-time businessmen wanting to pay obeisance to a bigger leader (read MLA/MP) erect publicity material.
“It is nearly impossible to walk on the pavements in this area. As a senior citizen I have no choice but to risk toppling over these obstructing promotional material if I do not want to get hit by a vehicle while walking on the road,” said Raghavan Parthasarathy, who lives near Geeta Nursing Home in West Maredpally, where every pole on the road is a mast for Congress posters and banners.
“Bus stops here are shelters for advertisements and not people. Even seats are not spared sometimes,” says Sunil Bendukuri of MIG colony in Kukatpally housing board. Banners, signage, hoardings, cut outs
and other outdoor publicity media conveying Christmas, New Year and Pongal greetings stare at pedestrians and motorists, distracting them and often jeopardizing their lives.
“Most of the billboards are erected clandestinely during the night. They mar the landscape and conceal landmarks. Worse they are a distraction for motorists and lead to accidents,” says Madhukar Raj of Safilguda, pointing to a crowd of larger than life banners near the railway crossing.
“When it comes to promoting themselves, politicians indeed cut across party lines to flock together,” he mocks pointing at the clutter.
In fact, enforcement officials of the health and sanitation wing who are entrusted with the task of pulling down illegal publicity material are often manhandled when they do their job. “Some officials were chased away by TRS workers a few days ago when they sought to pull down banners put up by them in Chaderghat,” an official said, adding that without some police protection, it is not possible to make the city banner-free.
Even monuments not spared by publicity seekers
Maredpally and Kukatpally are two cases in point where beaming politicians never tire of waving from their posters. Incidentally these areas also have umpteen roll-up pavement stands and obstructive banners along the roadside tied by private entities to promote their business.
Kantimati Kanan of the Right to Walk Foundation rues that banners do not even spare monuments. “Despite the security threat posed by such banners, they are tied on the median of Gachibowli main road,, ” she said. Such banners are known to be dangerous for a pedestrian when crossing as they obstruct view of oncoming traffic. The GHMC, which is the regulatory authority when it comes to outdoor publicity, has not been able to do much.
GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar acknowledged the problem and said that the corporation’s permission has to be sought for any kind of outdoor publicity. A lot needs to be done to curb the ‘banner culture’ he said adding: “We have tracked addresses given on advertisements to levy penalty. I have also instructed my officials to remove illegal publicity material.”
However, citizens say they do not expect much change in the situation what with the general elections slated for this year.