Hyd municipal authorities told to remove billboards
The Hyderabad district administration has once again directed municipal authorities to remove billboards and signs in compliance with the orders given by the Supreme Court (SC) four years ago.
Hyderabad deputy commissioner (DC) Fuad Ghaffar Soomro wrote to officials of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board Hyderabad, Hyderabad District Council, Qasimabad and Tandojam municipal committees in this regard on July 2.
Asking them to comply with the SC order from May 5, 2016, which barred the installation of billboards or signboards on the public property, he pointed out these posed threats during the monsoon rains.
In a statement on Monday, Soomro said the municipal officials had been asked to remove the billboards before the rains began.
"We are of the view that no billboard or hoarding can be allowed to be installed on any public property by any authority under the garb of bylaws, which militate against the civil rights of the public at large," the letter stated, quoting the SC order's gist.
According to the court, roads, sidewalks, islands in the road centre, overhead bridges, underpasses, pedestrian bridges, roundabouts, greenbelts, pedestrian lanes and stormwater drains all counted as public property. Even a billboard on a vacant plot was deemed illegal if it overhung any public property.
"Billboards or signboards can be dangerous in the rainy season and may cause an [untoward] incident," Soomro observed in his letter. "Therefore, you are directed to take action to immediately remove and uproot all the billboards installed on public spaces in your jurisdiction."
He gave the municipal authorities a week to comply and submit a report.
On February 3, Hyderabad commissioner Muhammad Abbass Baloch had also ordered the removal of billboards in front of heritage buildings.
Moreover, on March 13, 2019, a similar exercise, limited to Latifabad taluka, was carried out on the commissioner's order.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2020.