June 26, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 10, 1428

RAWALPINDI, June 25: Installation of towering billboards in the cantonment area has been banned till the end of monsoon season, it was officially learnt here. The decision in this regard had been taken at a meeting held on Monday, keeping in view the storm that wrought havoc in Karachi. Huge billboards fell causing casualties and destroying property in the city. The meeting was also attended by commanding officers of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards.

Station Commander Rawalpindi Brig Sajjad Azam held a meeting with billboard owners and advertisers, during which he issued ‘clear and loud’ directives to them to adopt necessary safety measures in order to protect the public from any possible disaster during the monsoon season. He asked them to strengthen the existing billboards and refrain from installing new ones.

Towering billboards have been erected along road sides and at public places, and so far no government policy is in place to control their unlimited growth. These billboards also cause traffic hazards as at certain points they hide road signs.

Advertisers prefer to use billboards as these are much more economical than print, radio and television which charge high rates.

Pre-monsoon rains across the country have heralded the advent of monsoon season and the Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted above normal rains during this year’s rainy season.

Thunderstorms are a threat to the huge billboards that are mounted on rooftops of commercial complexes.

Flimsily-built billboards can easily be blown away by strong winds.

The death and destruction in Karachi has alerted authorities in all major cities to review the policy regarding billboards. However, the city district government is yet to take safety measures as one can see hundreds of billboards mounted on both sides of Murree Road right from Marrir Chowk up to Faizabad.