Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
The Jharkhand High Court, presided over by Justice Anand Sen, has taken a strict stance on advertisement hoardings, unipoles, monopoles, and placards installed along roads and dividers in Ranchi.
The court directed the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to immediately remove all advertisement boards installed on street light poles at a height below 12 feet from the road surface, or elevate them above 12 feet. The court observed that low-height advertisement boards on electricity poles located in the middle of roads pose a direct danger to commuters. Such boards create blind spots and distract drivers, significantly increasing the risk of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
RMC argued that hoardings, monopoles, unipoles, and billboards distract drivers and pose severe safety risks. The Corporation requested additional time from the court to file a detailed response.
Represented through petitions (including one by the Jharkhand State Outdoor Advertising Association), the agencies argued that not all hoardings pose a hazard. They urged RMC to specifically identify which hoardings are dangerous rather than categorizing all of them as risks.
The court instructed the respondents to file their replies and scheduled the next hearing for next week.
