DMC East warns advertisers to remove illegal structures

After the forecast of strong winds in the city by the Met Office, the District Municipal Corporations (DMC) East and Central on Friday alerted their departments to remain alert to deal with any untoward situation.

The DMC East directed the advertisers to remove all the hazardous billboards and advertising structures from different parts of the city.

According to a statement issued by the DMC East, its administrator and municipal commissioner told the advertisers that they were not allowed wall pasting or installing any advertising structure.

DMC East Director Advertising Hammad Khan said that his department had not allowed wall pasting or any advertising structure in the district. He added that the advertisers should remove such advertising material as they could result in a tragic accident and in that case, legal action would be taken again the advertisers concerned.

DMC East Administrator Rehmatullah Sheikh said that the parks department had instructed the staff to be on alert to deal with the blustery weather. In view of the directions of the administrator and the municipal commissioner, Fahim Khan, various DMC East departments were directed to remain alert.

In the meantime, DMC Central Administrator Ali Zaidi directed the parks, sanitation and rescue departments of the district administration to remain on standby for any untoward incident due to strong winds blowing in the city.

The Commissioner Office already issued an administrative order in October 2021 regarding the removal of the hazardous billboards. Then Karachi commissioner Navid Ahmed Sheikh directed all the deputy commissioners of the city to immediately undertake within their respective jurisdiction a comprehensive survey through qualified engineers of all the billboards and hoardings installed alongside main roads, and on the faces and roofs of high-rise buildings.

“The deputy commissioners are liable to get any billboards or hoardings thus found dangerous immediately removed in order to avoid any loss of precious human life or damage to public or private property, and furnish reports to this office,” the commissioner directed.