Bengaluru’s Sarjapur residents fear Chennai-like banner accident
BENGALURU: The recent death of 23-year-old Subhasri Ravi in Chennai which happened after a hoarding on the road divider fell while she was riding, has caused panic in Bengaluru’s Sarjapur. The residents fear that the same might happen to them due to illegal pole ads (hoarding) cropping up in their locality.
The residents alleged that advertisements panels have been erected on dividers from Wipro Gate to Sarjapur Road, Sarjapur to Attibele stretch, and Dommasandra Circle to Sarjapur police station. They claimed that all the hoardings violate by-laws laid down by the Public Works Department. They said, since Sarjapur doesn’t come under BBMP limits, it is the PWD who is in charge of all the road works.
Deepanjali, Member of Voice Of Sarjapur said, “We have been opposing the installation of these pole ads since 2017, but after the Chennai incident, we are really afraid. There should be a distance of 100 metre between panels, but here, there are many panels erected within 100 metres.”
Suresh Kumar, resident of V Kalahalli in Sarjapur said, “The roads are narrow, there are no footpaths, no street lights and no proper drainage system. Instead of treating these as our basic needs, advertisements are given priority. Sometimes, when it’s windy, the panels sway. In case they fall, it can be dangerous for motorists.”
Residents claimed that the Yamare and Dommasandra panchayats are continuously giving away contracts for advertisements which are causing these issues. "We can see there is an increase in the advertising panels as the panchayat doesn’t stop giving contracts. We want to plant trees on the divider to improve the greenery but the panchayat doesn’t give us permission because they want to erect hoardings," said another member of Voice of Sarjapur. The residents also alleged that they have been making multiple complaints to the PWD engineers but nothing has helped so far.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, PWD Assistant Engineer Pujar said, “The residents have brought this issue to my notice. I have made a list of the hoardings that have been erected without following by-laws. I have sent it to the panchayat to have the respective advertisers remove them.”