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Mumbai billboard tragedy which left 14 dead and 74 injured has acted as a wakeup call for civic bodies across the nation.
Such danger is also lurking from behind the huge billboards installed in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Billboards in Bhubaneswar
Be it Sishu Bhawan Square, Kalpana or Master Canteen, there are huge billboards or hoardings in these crowded areas of Bhubaneswar. In places, these billboards are adjacent to roads and crowded areas.
In Cuttack, the scenario is least said the better.
Also Read: OTV Impact: CMC swings into action after body of youth found floating in open drain in Cuttack
Billboards in Cuttack
Here too such billboards can be seen across the town including the most crowded Badambadi and Khannagar Square.
Surprisingly, most of them seem to be old and rusted.
What weather scientists say
According to weather scientists, wind speed of around 60kmph can pull down these hoardings.
“In Odisha, wind speed sometimes reaches 75 kmph or above. During Nor’wester rains, if wind speed touches 60 kmph, it can uproot billboards if they are not fixed strongly at the base,” said weather scientist, Sarat Chandra Sahu.
While no comments regarding the condition of the billboards were received from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Commissioner Bijay Kumar Das said steps are being taken to remove illegal and decrepit hoardings.
What CMC Commissioner says
“After the Mumbai incident, we had a discussion with the concerned officials. The safety aspect of the hoardings will be inspected. Instruction has been issued to remove weak and rusted hoardings,” said Das.
- Reported by:
- ATULYA BOUT , NIRANJAN REDDY , Biswajit Acharya
