As Swachh test starts, Gzb takes off illegal boards

Ghaziabad: The district administration of Ghaziabad has begun dismantling unauthorised unipoles, banners and hoardings as part of a cleanliness drive in the city. Since the launch of Swachh Survekshan on January 4, the administration has dismantled nearly 50 illegal hoardings.
The drive started in the city a day after three persons travelling in a Pajero SUV had a close shave after a unipole erected on a central verge along the Meerut road collapsed on their vehicle. An auto-rickshaw had also been damaged in the accident that had taken place in Morta area of Muradnagar even though no one was injured.

Sources in the administration said more than 50% of hoardings and unipoles installed in the city are illegal and do not have permission from competent authorities.

“Directions have been issued to dismantle all hoardings, unipoles and banners in the city that are not up to the standards. Most of these have been installed in precarious positions and are a threat to vehicular traffic. The hoardings and unipoles that have been installed with due permission from the municipal corporation will not be dismantled. We have sought a list from the municipal corporation on the number of legal hoardings and unipoles, as well as the locations where they have been installed but there has been no reply so far. As soon as the list is handed over to us, we will leave those,” said district magistrate, Ritu Maheshwari.

TOI tried to reach out to municipal commissioner Chandra Prakash Singh but all the calls and messages remained unanswered.