Ranchi: The deadline set by the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) for advertising agencies to remove low-height hoardings and advertisement boards from public spaces ends on Monday.The civic body had on Friday given agencies two days to remove all displays installed less than 12 ft above road level on dividers, streetlight posts and electricity poles.The directive followed a recent Jharkhand high court order flagging low-height advertisement boards as a threat to two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. The court observed that such installations could obstruct motorists’ view, create blind spots and impede traffic movement.In its notice, RMC asked agencies to inspect their installations and remove hoardings, billboards, placards and other displays that violate the prescribed height norm or pose a traffic hazard.RMC warned that it would dismantle non-compliant structures if agencies failed to meet the deadline. “Agencies facing enforcement action will be blacklisted, and the entire cost of the removal operation will be recovered from the defaulting parties,” the notice said.Official sources said around 500 authorised hoardings and more than 300 sanctioned monopoles are under RMC’s jurisdiction. However, over 1,000 unauthorised hoardings are estimated to be standing across the city.RMC has carried out drives against illegal hoardings in recent weeks. Officials said the order would intensify crackdowns.
