What Went Up Illegally, Came Down Legally! Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, directs Mangaluru City Corporation and urban local bodies to conduct a survey of authorised and unauthorised flex, hoardings and take steps to remove those which pose a danger to public and property. The direction comes after many hoardings came crashing down in the city following gusty winds recently
Mangaluru: During the last few months Team Mangalorean had highlighted the mushrooming of illegal flex hoardings/banners in the City, through a few articles, including the two recent ones – Election Model Code of Conduct OUT, Illegal Hoardings & Banners IN! and MCC Officials Wake Up! Have You Seen the Illegal Hoardings/Banners Menace in the City and were forwarded to the MCC Commissioner, MCC Mayor and other concerned MCC officials, but no one took action? However, the DK Deputy Commissioner Mullai Muhilan MP, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, has directed Mangaluru City Corporation and urban local bodies to conduct a survey of authorised and unauthorised flex, hoardings and take steps to remove those which pose danger to public and property. The direction comes after many hoardings came crashing down in the city following gusty winds recently.
Team Mangalorean appreciates the move taken by the DC. MCC needs to first sensitize people, but also subsequently take action against those violating the rule. A similar drive should be initiated in remote areas too. It might be recalled that there were cases of accidents because of banners and publicity material on main roads that sometimes disrupted the view of motorists. Even these hoardings which are erected unscientifically come crashing down during heavy winds and rains, just like a few days ago. The illegal hoardings and banners pitched indiscriminately along the road are causing a nuisance. They cause inconvenience to the general public. Many of these hoardings and banners are put up in gross violation of civic sense and also civic law.
BEFORE MCC CLEAN UP DRIVE……
It happens now and then, that the officials of the Mangaluru City Corporation decide and go on a rampage to bring down all the illegal hoardings/banners etc that are hung/erected in various prominent spots in the city, not to mention the busy Hampankatta Circle. Why is MCC taking all this trouble every month or months to remove these hoardings/banners which cost money and workers’ time at the expense of taxpayers? Why can’t MCC strictly enforce the rule and fine heavily those who had erected the hoardings/banners? If strict action is not taken, these hoardings/banners will appear again and again- and MCC has to bring them down again and again- which is foolishness and a waste of time and money.
AFTER MCC HOARDINGS/BANNERS CLEAN-UP DRIVE…
If you are wondering what happened to all those banners/Hoardings/buntings that were hanging on the city electric/telephone poles, mainly at prominent locations in the City- that’s because Mangaluru City Corporation carried out a drive to remove all the illegal hoardings, cut-outs and banners in the heart of the City. Seems like the city officials have woken up again to tackle the menace of illegal banners and buntings that mushroom at important junctions.
Speaking to Mangalorean.com, one of the MCC officials said, “Although taking permission from the municipal corporation is a must before putting up banners, buntings or cut-outs, hardly any individual or organization does so. They are supposed to pay a fee to the corporation. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, advertisers, organizations or individuals must take prior permission from the municipal corporation to exhibit banners and other publicity materials. This drive is once again a warning for those who were in the habit of displaying publicity material at junctions without taking permission from the corporation. We will carry out the drive across all junctions in the City regularly in future”. I hope so!
Most of the illegal banners carry advertisements of private enterprises, including those of fast foods, food products, coaching institutes, mobile phone companies, Astrologers, religious functions, schools/colleges admissions, cultural shows, congratulating politicians, motor vehicles and jewellers. The MCC official further said that despite the repeated warning, those who put the hoardings illegally have failed to remove them. Many times, organizations and agencies are involved in sticking the handouts on either side of the road and electric poles, thus disfiguring the roadside and electric poles. Notice should be issued to all those who had erected hoardings illegally in the city and a case should be filed under the Prevention of Disfigurement Act. But that is not here by our lovely officials.
Many a time, those who put up the banners, and boards, do not remove them even after the function or programme gets over. Clearing such banners are a great headache for the Corporation. If MCC authorities fail to stop putting up banners and hoardings without proper license, then all their efforts for the beautification of the City will go futile. It is also learnt that some people take permission for certain numbers of banners/hoardings, but they display more banners/hoardings than they paid for. Not just now, MCC should have such drives constantly so that the city is free from illegal and way too many banners that ruin the beauty of the City.
