Unipole collapse: Ghaziabad admin to pull up contractor

The municipal corporation on Friday said it is issuing notice to the private firm contracted for advertisement unipoles.

Following the collapse of a unipole near the Hindon, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation on Friday said it is in the process of issuing notice to the private firm they had contracted for setting up advertisement unipoles on the Mohan Nagar to Thakurdwara stretch of Grand Trunk Road. Four persons were injured and three vehicles crushed in the incident.

The unipole had collapsed on the main GT Road near river Hindon on Thursday, injuring four persons and crushing three vehicles. (HT File Photo)

The municipal corporation took responsibility for hiring a contractor to set up unipoles only a day after the incident.

“We are serving a notice to the private firm as the unipole collapse was due to their negligence. The contract with the firm states they would be liable for any damages to life and property,” DK Sinha, additional municipal commissioner, said.

“The firm will reply if any norms were violated in installation of the unipole. They will be held accountable,” Sinha said.

District magistrate Vimal Kumar Sharma took a sterner view of the incident and ordered a magisterial inquiry.

“It is sheer negligence on part of the agencies. No one came forward to take responsibility. Is it believable that a big unipole is installed and none of the agencies has information about it? It is more surprising that no document regarding the unipole was put forward before us till date. So, I have ordered a magisterial inquiry,” he said.

However, the victims had forwarded a complaint at the Sihani Gate police station on Thursday evening but the police failed to lodge an FIR till Friday.

“We did not file an FIR as no one was named behind the incident,” Manish Mishra, circle officer (city), said.

Those injured were rushed to MMG District Hospital and later referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi.

“Sabir and Pappu (victims who suffered head and facial injuries) were discharged from the hospital but they are in bad state. I think Pappu will have to be admitted again as he suffered head injuries,” Salim Khan, brother of injured Sabir, said.