KARACHI, May 3: The Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, on Tuesday, taking a notice of the mushroom growth of billboards, ordered that all billboards that were dangerous, eyesore, installed at improper gaps and inappropriate in size be removed till June 30.
Presiding over a meeting at the Governor’s House, he said the situation had deteriorated to an extent that even President Pervez Musharraf himself had noticed the disorderly billboards on the Sharea Faisal during his last visit to Karachi.
Ibad said our aim should not only be to increase revenue, but care should be taken of providing facilities to pedestrians and drivers and the city’s beautification.
The meeting decided that all billboards in the city would be regulated according to laws and rules with effect from June 30.
A decision was taken that besides the city government only bodies involved in providing water and sewerage disposal serves could allot billboards.
Ibad called for a uniform system in the city. Under the same, bylaws of the city government regarding billboards had been provided to other departments, so that the latter could submit their suggestions till May 20 after which a unified system of billboard display would be implemented. It also decided that in future all sites of billboards would be allotted through auction.
He also sought the lists of advertisers, who were indulged in irregular activities so that they could be blacklisted. He instructed that all parties interested in allotting billboard sites should be pre-qualified and their minimum standard, terms of reference and other related matters be chalked out. The meeting decided that no one would be allowed to install billboards on electricity polls.
It was also decided that the distance between two billboards should be determined and it be insured that they don’t pose threat to drivers or pedestrians and that their colours do not create problems for drivers.
Besides, the meeting decided that billboard material should not be hazardous and their size be according to the rules, and that they do not prove an eyesore for the city. Ibad said that those allotted the billboard display sites should be made responsible for the cleanliness and beautification of a certain area. Instructions were given by the governor to remove billboards from old buildings.
The meeting was told that 164 illegal billboards were removed form the I.I. Chundrigar Road, while all billboards were removed from the Kothari Parade and Schon Circle.
The governor called for audit of the city government advertisement department’s accounts of the last three years.
He also took a serious notice of display boards of quacks in the city and ordered their urgent removal.
The meeting also decided that no site for billboards would be allotted before implementation of the proposed new system. — PPI
