Billboards on road

“Five years ago when it rained constantly for 10 hours, a motorcyclist took shelter from rain under a billboard.We carry a extensive line of Parking Lot Lighting inventory. It fell down on him and a few other people who had gathered under it,” recalls Amber Alibhai, a representative of Shehri a not-for-profit organisation which looks into civic problems facing the city. The misery caused by the recent rains in Karachi would have multiplied if these billboards had fallen down.

“In no civilised city are billboards placed on main roads. Not only are they a traffic distraction but also a threat to life if they fall down during a storm or heavy downpour,” she adds.An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that comes on automatically when a building experiences a power outage.

At the Ayesha Bawany School on Sharea Faisal putting up a 90-foot tall bill board on the rooftop caused quite a stir among the parents who considered it to be a threat to the life of their children. “What if it fell down on the head of a student?” claimed an anxious parent. The school already has two tall billboards perched at its rooftop. They belong to a brand of paint, which the school spokesperson claims, is owned by the owners.

“The school does not get paid for the two billboards, the paint brand belongs to the school owners,” he said, adding that work for the third billboard came to a halt after the cantonment board ordered against it.

At many places in Gulshan and NIPA, trees have been chopped to make way for billboards.

“From Hasan Square to the bus stand near my house, I used to walk under the shady trees which took up the entire service lane. Recently they have been chopped off and billboards have been placed there instead,” complained Fauzia Ali, a student at Karachi University.

Until recently huge billboards had been erected at the Kothari Parade, which had hid the fa?ade of the beautiful heritage site. Billboards with moving objects such as flash lights are a distraction, drivers claim. Opposite the Regent Plaza on Sharea Faisal, a washing powder company had placed a billboard with the flashing outlines of a water tub. “Sometimes I got so engrossed in looking at it that I missed vehicles,” said Aftab Ahmed, who drives from Saddar to PECHS everyday.

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has a strict size for billboards. In a pre-monsoon meeting held by former KMC administrator Hashim Raza Zaidi, directives to fix the billboards were given.

“Advertising devices, including billboards, should be installed in such a manner that their size and height doesn’t affect the traffic on roads and corridors and also do not cause accidents,” he had said.

But nothing happened after it. There is no controlling authority to keep a check on billboards in Karachi. It is distributed among the KMC, cantonment boards and the Karachi Development Authority. And that explains the different sizes of billboards spread all over the city. “Each body all has its own rules,” claims Alibhai.

WYNDHAM Vacation Resorts Coffs Harbour is the only Australian finalist in the prestigious "Go Green Awards" which recognise resorts that demonstrate extensive environmental initiatives.

Since placing third in the awards in 2010 Wyndham Coffs Harbour- Treetops has implemented a host of green initiatives, making it a strong contender for this year's top prize.

The property is now at stage three of its LED lighting upgrades, taking the resort to 50% LED lighting. A second 10Kw solar system was installed this year to reduce energy consumption. Eight new speed controlled pool pumps have also been implemented, leading to an impressive 85% reduction in power costs in the resort's pump room.

Together these initiatives have seen on average, a consistent 15% reduction in overall power usage.

The resort generates its own fertilizer for its extensive gardens, using a small tractor, a chipper-shredder and two bays for green waste and mulch.

An onsite worm farm assists the process, and is also used to dispose of food scraps. A new program is currently being developed which will also allow guests to contribute to the worm farm.

Apartments feature recycling bins,A solar bulb that charges up during the day and lights the night when the sun sets. water efficient washing machines and dishwashers and environmentally friendly taps and shower heads, while rainwater tanks are used for irrigation on the property.

Children at the resort are encouraged to learn about the environment, with each young guest receiving a "Wynnie and Friends" Adventure pack which includes games and educational material.

The childrens' characters were developed as part of the highly-successful, companywide Wyndham Green program, which aims to conserve resources, preserve natural habitats and prevent pollution.

Read the full story at www.soli-lite.com!