Unipoles Installed Near Main Roads Spell Danger of Road Accidents Posing Severe Menace at Crossroad Intersections
Bhagalpur : Amidst claims of development and beautification in the city of Bhagalpur—renowned as the Silk City—a hazardous reality is taking root, placing citizens' lives at daily risk. Massive advertising unipoles erected haphazardly without adherence to any safety standards along main roads, busy intersections, roundabouts, and flyovers are rapidly transforming into pillars of death. Not only do these unipoles obscure traffic signals and directional boards at junctions, but at night, the high-intensity and glaring LED lights used in these advertisements blind motorists, triggering horrific road accidents within the blink of an eye. Citizens routinely fall victim to crashes and end up in hospitals due to these fatal unipoles; yet, owing to the complicity of the municipal corporation, district administration, and advertising agencies, no concrete action has been taken against this grave issue to date.
(The Root of the Problem and Current Situation)
Driven by the pursuit of generating revenue through commercial advertisements within the city over recent years, the business of installing unipoles around main roads and intersections has spiraled out of control:
Flouting of Standards: Regulations dictate that advertising hoardings or unipoles should be erected at a mandatory minimum distance from any intersection or turn to maintain a clear line of sight for drivers. However, in Bhagalpur, these giant unipoles have been planted right in the middle of traffic police posts, signal lights, and immediate intersection corners or sharp turns.
Severe Obstruction of Visibility: When a motorist turns at a busy intersection, a unipole pillar or a massive board mounted on it suddenly looms into view, obscuring oncoming vehicles or pedestrians and resulting in head-on collisions.
Major Hazards Posed by Unipoles at Intersections
These unipoles, planted near various city junctions such as Kutchery Chowk, Ghantaghar, Khalifabagh Chowk, Station Chowk, and the Bypass Road, generate multiple severe dangers:
Blinding Motorists (LED Glare):
Modern unipoles feature high-intensity LED lights and blinking screens designed to attract customers at night.
As drivers navigate these intersections, the sudden flash of bright light temporarily blinds them (Night Blindness Effect), causing vehicles to lose control and crash into dividers or pedestrians.
Obscuration of Traffic Signals:
At numerous junctions, traffic police boards, speed limit directions, or roundabout rules are entirely hidden behind these massive advertisements. Unfamiliar drivers entering from other districts fail to comprehend the routes and fall prey to accidents out of confusion.
Risk of Collapse During Storms and Gales:
Many of these unipoles lack robust foundations and rely solely on iron sheets and weak nuts and bolts. They remain vulnerable to collapsing during monsoons or severe windstorms, carrying the potential for catastrophic loss of life on any given day.
Administrative Apathy and the Revenue Game
The most alarming aspect of this entire affair is that everything transpires right under the nose of the administration:
Illegal and Unauthorized Boards: Observers allege that dozens of unipoles installed across the city are either unauthorized or erected beyond permitted dimensions. The municipal corporation's advertising cell reaps fat monthly earnings from this, which is likely why officials turn a blind eye to this fatal negligence.
Silence Following Accidents: When individuals are injured or lose their lives in road accidents, the police limit their actions to registering an FIR, but to this day, no responsible agency or official has been held accountable for granting permission to place these hazardous unipoles near intersections.
Anguish of Ordinary Citizens and Drivers
Common commuters, auto drivers, and youth navigating city streets have voiced intense fury over the situation:
"Web of Death in the Guise of Beautification": Citizens assert that under the pretext of sprucing up the city, the administration has flooded intersections with advertisements, turning roads into hazardous racetracks rather than safe corridors.
Demand for Immediate Removal: Enlightened citizens and social organizations of the city have submitted memorandums to the district administration and municipal commissioner, demanding the immediate removal of these fatal unipoles from all main intersections.
These advertising unipoles lining main roads and intersections stand as living proof of how commercial gains take precedence over public safety. While advertisements may be necessary, they can never outweigh human life. The time has arrived for the Bhagalpur district administration and municipal corporation to awaken from their deep slumber. Without waiting for a major disaster, mapping of all city intersections must be undertaken, and every illegal and hazardous unipole obstructing traffic must be uprooted without delay to render city roads safe for citizens.
