Srinagar: Shabby and crumbling hoarding structures across various spots in the summer capital affect its aesthetic beauty and pose risk to commuters.
A group of commuters said dilapidated hoardings structures give an ugly look to otherwise scenic Srinagar.
“World has reached era of digital and creative hoardings, but here we are unable to install hoardings in a planned way. At many spots in the city centre you can see structures of hoarding are either tilted or display is torn into pieces. Hoardings are welcome signs of any city. If such structures are in bad shape, it reflects bad impression of the place,” said Ishfaq Ahmed, a student at Lal Chowk.
Locals said that the hoarding sites have been without maintenance for years.
To mention Srinagar city has been ranked at the bottom of the list among 49 cities for ‘Ease of Living Index 2020’.
The officials, however, say that many projects, including smart city projects, have been already taken up to bring back Srinagar city to its glory.
“However placement of hoarding structures for outdoor advertising across city has been haphazard,” a group of traders said.
Many traders said that putting up hoarding at better locations and maintaining them well is good for the advertising business.
At several places, hoarding structures are rusted, broken, and can pose threat to lives of commuters. “We hope that the concerned departments will ensure proper placement of hoarding structures across Srinagar city and renovate them. It will add to beatification of the city and fulfill the purpose of the advertising business,” said Ayaz Zehgeer chief organiser Beopar Mandal Maharaj Gunj.
SMC has around a hundred hoarding structures in the city. When contacted, SMC commissioner did not answer calls of this reporter for his response on the issue.