PMC to remove at least 50 dangerous gantries
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has identified and decided to remove around 50 old and dangerous gantries across the city to avoid any calamity
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has identified and decided to remove around 50 old and dangerous gantries across the city to avoid any calamity.
Last year, the PMC sky and sign department conducted a survey of gantries across the city as an overhead gantry near Sancheti hospital collapsed due to the gusty wind and rain. However, there was no causality since there was no vehicular movement on that road when the incident took place due to lockdown.
According to the PMC sky and sign department statistics, there are more than 2,000 traffic sign gantries, billboards and advertising hoardings in the city area. Of that, the civic body has found around 50 gantries which are as old as 10 to 15 years.
Vijay Landge, deputy commissioner of PMC sky and sign department said, “During a survey, we found that there are 50 gantries old and weak in the structure. There are chances of collapse. Therefore, we have floated a tender to demolish such old gantries and remove them, collect material and store them in the PMC godown.”
He further said, “We have already removed around 26 gantries and now we want to remove another 23 gantries.”
One of the officials of the sky and sign department said, “Most of the dangerous and old gantries belong to the PMC and were raised during the Commonwealth Games in 2008 which are located on the main city roads such as Nagar road, Satara road, Paud road, Baner-Balewadi, Fergusson college road, Jangali Maharaj road, Shivaji road, old Mumbai-Pune road, Airport road.”
In 2018, four people were killed and seven suffered injuries after a large hoarding frame collapsed in Managalwar peth area near the Pune railway station. The incident led to action against the contractor.
According to the rules and regulations of the PMC before October 2018, the hoarding owners had to submit these audit reports once every two years. However, post the incident of the hoarding collapse near the Regional Transport Office (RTO) chowk last year, the decision to submit such reports every six months was made mandatory by the civic body.
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Name of ward office Number of hoardings and billboards
Aundh 285
Bhavani peth- 24
Bibvewadi- 54
Dhankwadi- 35
Dhole patil- 304
Hadapsar- 87
Kondwa- 92
Kothrud- 111
Nagar road- 276
Sahakarnagar- 91
Shivajinagar- 356
Tilak road- 135
Visharambaugwada- 156
Warje- 74
Yerawada- 64