Pune: PMRDA Accused of Ignoring Safety Risks with Giant Unauthorized Hoardings in Hinjewadi

Hinjewadi, 17th May 2024: There is still no concrete rule or policy regarding hoardings in the Hinjewadi area. An expansion of giant, illegal hoardings has appeared near many petrol pumps and tall buildings in this area. People are asking whether it is the role of the Pune Metropolitan Area Development Authority (PMRDA) to encourage rather than stop this practice in the Hinjewadi area. Is the administration waiting for a repeat of the Ghatkopar incident, given that these hoardings pose a danger to local citizens, including IT professionals? Such questions are being raised.

The PMRDA administration is being accused of supporting these giant, dangerous hoardings by maintaining a stance of “however big the hoardings are, just pay us taxes.”

There are more than three hundred unauthorized, dangerous hoardings in the entire Hinjewadi IT area. The iron rods of hoardings at busy intersections are posing a significant risk of major accidents. Some hoarding owners were only served notices four months ago. The PMRDA is merely instructing owners to “register the hoarding or take it down.” Even after three months, no decisive action has been taken.

Hoardings with advertising cloth or PVC are the ones which fall. Due to wind pressure, the stress on the cloth is transferred to the iron structure, causing it to collapse completely onto the road and resulting in loss of life. All accidents have occurred in this manner.

As a solution, the administration needs to implement regulations regarding the GSM (grams per square meter) of cloth or PVC used for hoardings. This way, when wind pressure exceeds normal levels, the fabric will tear before the stress is transferred to the iron structure, thereby preventing the structure from collapsing. This approach can be devised by highly educated engineers within the administration. It’s a technology similar to the airbags used in cars.