GHMC removes over 120 illegal advertisements in crackdown

Hyderabad: Illegal putting up of advertisements, banners, billboards and ads across the city, are reportedly not paying the requisite fee to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), causing losses to the civic body. GHMC’s Directorate of Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EV&DM), had initiated a special drive on removing hoardings, advertisements that dot the city and removed over 120 illegal advertisements.

Following the issue of illegal hoardings raised by the corporators in GHMC standing committee meeting, EVDM wing of the GHMC has been running a major drive over illegal hoardings removed from various spots on Tuesday. Its director, N Prakash Reddy, said “We are removing such hoardings whenever they are brought to our notice. People can lodge complaints on our official X handle or call our control room to get such prohibited content removed. As many as 80 traffic umbrellas, 20 illegal bus shelter displays, and four illegal bus shelters were completely removed around KBR Park in Jubilee Hills.

He said that following several notices issued to the concerned people, but with no further attention from them, they were removed and slapped a penalty if necessary. The unauthorised hoardings were during night hours to avoid the traffic congestion. According to the officials, the special teams of the advertisement wing of the civic body were deployed to identify unauthorised hoardings at unipoles, bus shelters, arches, electrical pole kiosks, obligatory spans and others. The wing deals with the regulation of sky-signs and other advertisements. After carrying out the inspections by the teams in all the six zones and 30 circles, the illegal advertisements will be removed. The agencies will be suggested to inspect the advertisement elements, and may obtain clarification, if any, regarding the location. With the huge loss of advertisement revenue for the municipal corporation, earlier too, the GHMC launched similar drives and brought down the unauthorised hoardings.

The advertising wing officials said a new advertisement policy is going to be introduced which allows LED hoarding advertisements for 15 metres above high structures. The proposals have been sent to the State government for approval, they added. The State government is currently overseeing the development of a new advertising policy.