LAHORE, June 25: The Parks and Horticulture Authority has suspended the sanction of installation of new hoardings in the provincial metropolis, pending the checking of the structural safety of 1,200 existing ones by Aug 14.

PHA Director-General Shabbir Ahmed held his first meeting with the six approved structural safety engineers here on Friday and asked to start inspection of the existing hoardings immediately.

He said that around 600 hoardings installed on the roofs of the buildings should be inspected on a priority basis. Hoardings measuring 10x20 feet installed in greenbelts should be inspected afterwards but checking of safety of larger hoardings installed on the ground should be ensured.

The PHA, he said, would ensure removal of all the hoardings for which structural stability certificates from its enlisted structural engineers were not provided by Aug 14. The production of structural stability certificate would henceforth be required every year by the deadline prescribed for the payment of rent.

Only the advertizers registered and notified by the authority would be allowed to install the hoardings in future on furnishing structural stability certificates issued by its enlisted engineers after the examination of the design, he clarified.

The PHA DG said that engineers would also examine the hoarding after installation and certify its strength to withstand the pressure of severe wind and jolts of earthquake. Painting of the hoarding and lose wires would also be checked. Installation of hoardings would not be permitted under the 11KV power lines.

He said that furnishing of the structural stability certificate was only an additional measure for ensuring safety and public property and in no way absolved the advertisers of the responsibility of stability of the structures of hoardings.

Advertizers would also indemnify the PHA against any responsibility for any liability accruing from the collapse of a publicity board or any other consequences, he added.