Rawalpindi: Giant billboards pose grave threat to people

[Naveed Yaseen]

Rawalpindi
Dangerously hanging billboards along main roads and in congested localities of the city pose a threat to people’s lives.

The number of boards installed by different companies and traders is on the rise.

Sources told ‘The News’ that three or four huge billboards fall every day for one reason or another. According to them, 20 to 30 hoardings fall whenever it rains heavily or in case of a thunderstorm. Around 21 billboards fell during last Sunday’s thunderstorm, sources added.

According to sources, there are more than 3,000 billboards in residential areas of Rawalpindi. Several billboards are installed close to schools posing a serious threat to children. Huge billboards would be more dangerous in the monsoon season, they said.

Executive District Officer (Revenue) Muhammad Asif Qureshi told ‘The News’ that all dangerously hanging billboards would be removed by July 1. The department would start removing billboards from all localities in the last week of June. The city administration has decided to mark particular points for display of billboards away from residential areas and crowded places, he said.

People interviewed by ‘The News’ strongly reacted over the installation of huge billboards close to their homes and shops.

Rashid Ahmed said that a huge billboard is installed in front of his house, which is posing a serious threat to his children. He said that his children play near the billboard. According to him, the billboard is not properly fixed and fall any time.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182490