HYDERABAD: In a sweeping policy shift aimed at boosting civic revenues, the state Cabinet has scrapped height restrictions on hoardings and unipoles across Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region Extended (CURE), allowing advertising structures of any height subject to municipal approval.
The uniform policy will apply to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Cyberabad Municipal Corporation and Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation, covering 2,053 sq km. It removes the existing 15-metre cap that was in force within GHMC limits and extends common norms across the expanded urban region formed after the merger of 27 ULBs into three corporations.
Under the new framework, hoardings on government buildings and public structures will be allotted through auctions, with successful bidders permitted to display advertisements for up to five years. Fixed rates will apply to hoardings on private properties. The policy is expected to be rolled out shortly, with the government anticipating a sharp rise in municipal revenues.
The move, however, has revived safety concerns. In 2016, a large unipole collapsed near Jubilee Hills Check Post, damaging several vehicles. In April 2007, a 24-year-old died and four people were injured when a 15-tonne unipole fell near KBR Park. Those incidents had led to restrictions, including the 15-metre height cap.
Officials said approvals would be granted only after assessing traffic density, commercial activity and public safety, and that locations posing accident risks would be avoided.
Despite the sector’s revenue potential, GHMC has never generated even Rs 100 crore annually from outdoor advertising. Allegations in council meetings have pegged losses at nearly Rs 500 crore due to irregularities. With the cap now removed, the effectiveness of the policy will depend on transparent auctions and strict enforcement of structural and safety norms, particularly during heavy winds and the monsoon.