Visual pollution caused by political hoardings

APRIL 3, 2008

tags: Billboards, hoardings, pollution

The political establishment in Mumbai was feeling in a mood to pull down illegal hoardings
(billboards) particularly of the political kind as they are all illegal. The municipal corporation of
Mumbaimoved a proposal to ensure that political hoardings come up only on on space earmarked for
commercial advertisements. In fact there was a drive recently to pull down these illegal hoardings. Some
20,000 hoardings have been pulled down.
The pictures I have published below are to showcase a city made ugly
by the haphazard growth of these hoardings. Advertisement
billboards are bad enough by themselves, but the political hoardings
are worse as they are put up anywhere and everywhere and one on
top of another and in spaces not meant for hoardings. Most of them
are put up for trivial and laughable reasons to felicitate political
leaders on their birthdays (!), congratulate them on some minor
achievement, welcome them to the
city and so on. The intention of the
photographs below is not to show
the ineffectiveness of the drive
against the political billboards as
some of them have gone now,
although many remain, particularly
in the suburbs of Mumbai. The
drive leaves much to be desired no
doubt, but its a start. I can only hope that its not a mere flash in the pan
and not restricted to elite areas of the city.
Some of the photos below were taken in the suburbs of Mumbai, some in
central Mumbai, some in Thane and a couple in South Mumbai.

How can one expect people to follow

the rules and not speak on the phone
and drive when the government itself
breaks the law?

And its not just the hoardings which make a city ugly, its also the way the shopkeepers put up signs. There should be some rule as to the size and placement of the
signs.

SOURCE: https://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2008/04/03/what-politicalhoardings-do-to-a-a-city/

There is a billboard epidemic in India!

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

tags: Billboards, hoardings, pollution

Call it them examples of advertising vandalism, visual pollution or label them as the pox
of outdoor advertisingor simply call them hoardings or
billboards!
Though I am not against advertising, the number of
billboards in our cities have reached epidemic proportions
and I have developed an allergy to them. And guess what
most of them are illegal!
Ours is one of the few countries in the
world where permission to put up hoardings is given easily
(without urban skyline assessment) and where illegal
billboards are ignored, specially those put up by political
parties.
This inspite of the 1997 supreme court order banning
hoardings (order to MCD, Municipal Corporation of Delhi)

because they were hazardous to traffic. In 2004, Punjab and Haryana high
courts passed similar orders. In March this year, the Delhi high court reiterated that the Supreme
Court order had to be followed.
Action Plans
Something is happening. Rumbles of discontent from as as far back as a decade ago are now
bearing fruit! In almost all the major cities of India, a move to get rid of billboards or at least
regulate them, is gathering momentum. About time too, considering that the law has made it
mandatory.
I first read about the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) wanting to ban hoardings in
the city, and decided I would find out what was happening in the rest of the countryas well as a
little about the rest of the world.
First Mumbai. The BMC wants to ban hoardings, whether illegal or
legal. Areas are to be designated as no-hoardings zones and in other
parts of the city, ugly hoardings will be substituted with backlit, backto-back advertisements, building wraps, neon signs and trivision ads.
And all this is slated to happen within the next 5-6 months.
Over the past few years a battle has been on in Pune to prevent
hoardings from defacing the city. There are indications that the city
plans to come down hard on illegal hoardings, but there is no visible sign
of improvement as of today.
In Uttar Pradesh the urban development department does not want hoardings
on highways (national, state and district) in the state. Municipal bodies of
different cities also want dangerous hoardings removed from the roof tops of
buildings, specially as many are poorly maintained and in danger of collapsing.
In Tamil Nadu the government is set on a plan to get rid of all illegal hoardings
in six corporations Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Salem and
Tirunelveli. As forhoardings which are erected for functions, they will be
allowed only for three days before the function and two days after. Then the government will pull
them down.

In Delhi, all hoardings that compromise road safety are to be

removed.
In Bangalore, the BBMP (Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike) is launching a
drive to remove all illegal billboards from this month onwards.
In Hyderabad there are demands to remove hoardings from city
junctions as they are a hazardous to traffic.
In Kolkata, there is a drive to pull down illegal hoardings.
Strong protests from the outdoor advertising lobby
While no one can protest too much about the razing of illegal hoardings, the outdoor advertising
lobby is up in arms against Mumbais proposal to ban hoardings in large parts of the city.
Some feel that such decisions are harmful, specially as many of our countrys populace is
illiterate and need the hoardings! They feel that the outdoor advertising industry is being
unnecessarily targeted, and that hoardings should be simply regulated, not banned. Naturally,
they would feel so a lot of money is involved.
Sure, billboards can be regulated, but first of all get rid of 60-70 percent of them! (It is believed
that these many are illegal, many of them the small ones) In any case billboards, whether legal
or illegal, should not be allowed to deface natural beauty, the citys skyline, or cause safety
hazards. No-hoarding zones as the BMC has proposed are the
need of the hour!

The rest of the world

All over the developed world, billboards are regulated. The laws
regulating the places where hoardings are to be put up are
strictly enforced. But there are countries that have had billboard
problems. Greece for example.
As recently as the year 2000, Athens city embarked on a successful four-year project
demolishing the majority of rooftop billboards to beautify the city for the tourists the games
(2004 Summer Olympics) will bring, overcoming resistance from advertisers and building
owners. And just this year So Paulo, Brazil put in place a billboard ban to get rid of what their
mayor called visual pollution.
In Japan, there are plans to strengthen the already strict rules for outdoor advertising, including a
ban on rooftop advertising in certain cities. The aim is to preserve the skyline.

So while I do not completely echo the feelings

of environmentalists who believe that billboards and advertising
in general contribute negatively to the mental climate of a culture
by promoting products as providing feelings
of completeness, wellness and popularity to
motivate purchase, I certainly feel that the
advertising clutter that we are experiencing
today in the modern world borders on
vulgarity and is a sight for sore eyes.
Outdoor advertising in particular can border on advertising vandalism
because you cant switch it off and you cannot keep it away.

(All pictures are copyrighted to me. They have been taken in

Mumbai and Pune)
Update: A news report today says that residents need not give permission for
billboards to be put up on their builidings! This indeed seems strange to me. Another
thing, fines of Rs 1000/- to Rs 2000/- are too little to deter the offenders and that is
why there are so many illegal hoardings. There is a move in Mumbai to increase
penalties and come down heavily on repeat offenders.

SOURCE: https://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/there-is-a-billboard-epidemicin-india/

Kochi to clean up its act, install modern street

amenities
Funds for project expected from French agency, says Mayor

The
maintain modern facilities like bus-

visually polluted Kochi is all set for a clean-up

act, with French aid expected to install and
waiting sheds, kiosks and toilets on streets.
This was decided following a concept
presentation of how these public amenities
were provided in major cities, including New
Delhi.
The presentation was made before Mayor Tony
Chammany and a team of civic representatives, by
Pramod Bandulla, executive chairman of the
Paris-based company JCDecaux.

Bids will be invited for the purpose and an

agency shortlisted to install and maintain these
amenities. Funding for the purpose is expected from French development financing agency AFD. Our
aim is to clear the city of visual pollution caused by ill-maintained street amenities, hoardings etc.,
Mr Chammany said, while speaking to the media here on Thursday.
The benefit is two fold these modern facilities will ensure a beautiful city, while augmenting the
corporations revenue, he said. The agency that would set up the amenities as a PPP initiative will get
back its investment through selling advertisement space atop them. The corporation will get a
portion of the advertisement revenue without any investment.
Cluttered look
Earlier, Mr Bandulla said that most Indian cities have a cluttered look because of ramshackle public
infrastructure and haphazard advertisement boards. Mr Chammany said that AFD has promised
help for encouraging use of bicycles in heritage zones like Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.
The Kochi Corporation is planning to pull down all unauthorised hoardings/boards by the month
end since they have become eyesores across the city, the Mayor said.
Very soon, hoardings and boards will be limited to 30 places in the city. Alongside commissioning of
Kochi Metro, we need to weed out visual pollution from the city. The clean-up drive is part of this
endeavour.
Encroachers
To a question on encroachers and street vendors obstructing movement of pedestrians and vehicles,
Mr Chammany said that a special drive began in December to remove them from footpaths and
roads. He spoke of how some encroachers who were evicted are purchasing used cargo autos and
selling goods in them, worsening chaos at many junctions. We have sought the help of Motor
Vehicles Department to cancel the permit of these autos since it is an illegal activity.

On the model-road project envisaged a decade ago in the Broadway-Rajendra Maidan stretch, but
became a non-starter, Mr Chammany said that the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry had
promised to pool in with help to revive the project. The road is a haven for encroachers and vendors.
Also in attendance at the presentation were Cheikh Dia, Acting Director of AFD South Asia Office
(New Delhi) and Gautier Kohler, Project Coordinator (New Delhi) and Elias George, MD of Kochi
Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
SOURCE: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/kochi-to-clean-up-its-actinstall-modern-street-amenities/article5560817.ece
KOCHI, January 10, 2014

Flex Board Ban Move will Render Thousands Jobless

By Chandrakanth Viswanath
Published: 10th October 2014 06:16 AM
Last Updated: 10th October 2014 08:07 AM
KOCHI: The governments decision to ban flex boards in the
State has sent shock waves through the flex and signboards
industry, which has an annual turnover of nearly `3,000 crore.
According to representatives of the industry, the suicide attempt by Sanal 29, a worker from Alappuzha, is just a
pointer to their future if a blanket ban comes into effect.
They alleged that they were being made scapegoats by a system that lacks proper facilities for waste
management, in the name of environment pollution. More than one lakh persons, who are directly associated with
the industry, could be deprived of their livelihood if the ban comes into effect.
We dont have a proper waste management system, and how can the government blame only flex boards for
environment pollution. In the case of the hoardings and flex boards flooding the junctions and roads, it is the duty
of the government and the local bodies to control it in accordance with the law. A blanket ban will have a
catastrophic effect, said A Vijayaraj, working president of the Sign Printing Industries Association (SPIA), which
represents the flex printing units.
As part of the Green Kerala drive, Chief minister Oommen Chandy had announced, on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti,
that the State Government would bring in a legislation to ban flex boards in the State. The use of PVC is one of the
reasons cited for the ban. It is true that flex boards are printed on PVC-based surfaces. But then, how can we
ignore the pipes used in hotels and residential buildings. They are also ignoring the manner in which tea shops heat
milk that comes in plastic covers, which is totally unhealthy. Also, everyone is aware of the menace caused by
plastic bottles, said Vijayaraj.
He said that it was nearly impossible to blame flex boards for the waterlogging in drainage and water bodies as
most of them are filled with plastic waste.

According to the government, all flex boards, apart from those installed with the approval of panchayats and
corporations, would be taken off immediately. Flex boards installed with prior permission will also be taken off.
Taking inspiration from the Chief Minister who had inaugurated the drive by removing a flex board portraying
himself and his ministers, as part of the first phase of the programme, a task force of the Kochi Corporation had
removed nearly 400 unauthorised boards along the roads of the city. According to the SPIA, there are about 1,800
units in the State with an investment of nearly 10,000 crore.

SOURCE: http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Flex-Board-Ban-Move-will-RenderThousands-Jobless/2014/10/10/article2470366.ece

SOURCE: Binu Greenads

Visual pollution during the Ganesh Festival

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

tags: Festivals, pollution

The religious fervour and euphoria of the ten
days of Ganpati Bappa is over. People who fled
the city to escape the din (there is considerable
amount of sound pollution due to the use of
loudspeakers) and the crowds, have come back.
Politicians are conducting drives to clear the
debris on the beaches. And many of us regret
the environmental damage. Another thing
we want to put behind us are the instances of
intimidation/extortion before the start of the
celebrations (to collect money for the Ganesh mandals).
There are two other negative aspects. One concerns aesthetics and the other, the gross
commercialisation of the festival. I am not talking of the loud filmi music played at the
mandals, but the presence of brands. Whether its Idea or Hero Honda, or Lizzat
Papad, scores of brands were given permission by the municipality to put up posters
and banners and hoardings acrosss Pune city, particularly on roads with the mandals. I
am not sure what the financial arrangement was here, how much the mandals got, but I
am sure they got something too.
Even if they didnt, I dont see why a religious festival has to become an opportunity for
the government to make a few extra bucks. All billboard norms were thrown to the
wind! I am not in Pune now, but I wonder if these banners have been removed or
whether they have been carelessly discarded and are rotting in some ditch! The
government knows that no one will protest because the minute anything is religious
people bear it in silence. People are afraid that if they protest others could well question
their faith in God. How else to explain the uglification of a city and peoples tolerance
levels? I cannot believe that anyone thinks that polluting the city with ad banners has
anything to do with religion.
These are some of the pictures I took during the Ganesh Festival. They speak louder
than words.

The brand is not visible in the picture below its Airtel.

And do you think our politicians will

pass up an opportunity to plaster their
mugs on banners in the guise of
wishing the citizens Happy Ganesh
Chaturthi?

(All pictures were taken by me in Pune and are copyrighted)

SOURCE: https://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2008/09/17/ganesh-chaturthi-aftermath/

Don't overdo the outdoors

HARISH BIJOOR

Its time outdoor advertising took cognisance of aesthetics. - Photo: K.

Gopinathan

The outdoor advertising industry is growing again, and it's

time to do away with the visual pollution'.
As the Indian outdoor industry grows by leaps and bounds
in terms of opportunities to use, what is your advice to it?
And is there one thing my agency can do to stand apart
from the rest?
- Jayanta Padhi, Mumbai
Jayanta, congratulations! First of all, the industry is witnessing its much-needed growth after
decades of patient waiting. This, in many ways, is an industry that never got its due. The overall
turnover of the industry has grown slowly and the rates charged have always been under pressure.
Advice? The one big piece of advice would be to tread this space with caution. Just don't overdo the
outdoor piece a bit too much. As outdoor advertising booms, there is a rush to capitalise and
monetise every bit of valuable eyeball space there is. This should be done with care and finesse.
There needs to be a great degree of sensitivity as you grow the space of Indian outdoor.
Clutter is a big issue to manage. India and the Indian at large are going to wake up, sooner than later,
to the issue of visual pollution. I do believe that the idea of visual pollution' is an idea whose time
has come. Consumers of outdoor advertising are going to sit up in time and protest the visual clutter
and visual pollution at large that advertisements of companies thrust on them.
As this issue gains credence, it is important for players in the outdoor advertising space to exercise
restraint and show a great degree of finesse in every outdoor effort. Adopting a stance that says your
agency is visual pollution-sensitive might be a good and proactive position to take. This just might
set you apart from the rest. Try it!
Which is the best book to read to understand the liquor market in India? There are
many books from the Western perspective, but none on India.
- Shamik Rudro, Delhi
Shamik, the best book to read on anything is the market. When you find no books that tell you what
the market is all about, just step into the market. The market teaches you a lot. But this is hard work.
Whenever there is nothing to read, make your own reading material. Make it from the market.
Market working is an old habit. It has served generations of marketers very well. It is only the new
marketer of today who is relying on secondary data and secondary published information that is
most of the time either outdated or useless. In both cases, such information leads to nothing.
Remember, when there is something published, it is read by all. It is read by your savvy competitor
as well. If you really want information about the market that you can act upon uniquely, get to the
market.
Again, market working is not about working the market once. Instead, it is about working the market
regularly. It is about keeping your finger on the pulse of the market all the while. At times it is good

to work the same market again and again with periodic intervals. This gives you an idea of change. It
gives you a measure and a calibration device as well.
Talking of the liquor market, when you work markets you get very unique Indian insights. India is a
very different market. You will get stuff that is solid, and stuff that is anecdotal as well. At times you
can base a lot of your branding truth and fact on all that you pick up.
As a parting nugget: I worked a small market near Itarsi in Madhya Pradesh last week for an
understanding of the liquor market. I walked into a dirty ahata (a make-shift low-cost bar for rustic
drinkers) and sat around for a while absorbing it all. I looked up and checked out the menu. There
was a price list that listed everything. Egg fry came at Rs. 25, two boiled eggs cost Rs. 20 and there
was yet another charge on the board: Ulti charge: Rs. 50!
If I was to translate this into good old English, it would simply mean Vomit charge. This ahata in
rural MP charges its customers if they vomit within the premises. If you were to vomit here, you
would end up paying double the price of a plate of egg fry!
How realistic and practical can markets get?
And guess what, no book on the liquor market would list this. The market is a great teacher. Full
stop.
When will we brand the air we breathe?
- Rohini Venkataram, New Delhi
Rohini, that will be the last frontier of branding to breach. I really hope we don't ever do this.
If you look for this kind of branding keenly, you just might find an air humidifier trying to do this,
just as a fan might attempt to tell you that you are enjoying Usha air'.
As branding storms its way into category after category, I just don't put it beyond reason that this
space will be breached as well.
(Harish Bijoor is a business strategy specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults
Inc.askharishbijoor@gmail.com)
(This article was published on June 29, 2011)
SOURCE: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/dont-overdo-the-outdoors/article2144862.ece

Bangalore takes Chennai path in checking

billboard proliferation

Bangalore takes Chennai path in checking billboard proliferation

Ajay Sukumaran and Vidhya Sivaramakrishnan
First Published: Thu, Aug 07 2008. 10 11 AM IST
Removing clutter: Bangalores move to pull
down billboards without valid permits came
after opposition members in the legislature
complained of revenue loss and visual
pollution due to unregulated hoa
Updated: Thu, Aug 07 2008. 10 11 AM IST
Bangalore/Chennai: After taking a hit from a ban on billboards in Chennai, outdoor advertising firms
are facing an uncertain future in Bangalore where the local government has stopped issuing licences
and renewals for outdoor advertisements.

Removing clutter: Bangalores move to pull down billboards without valid permits
came after opposition members in the legislature complained of revenue loss and
visual pollution due to unregulated hoardings. Photograph: Hemant Mishra / Mint
Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said last week that the state capitals municipal body
would announce a new policy to check the proliferation of billboards and banners that do not have
valid permits.
The move came after opposition members in the legislature complained of revenue loss and visual
pollution due to unregulated hoardings and banners on the citys roads, where traffic moves at
around 10km per hour.
One advertiser said a freeze on new licences would cause the industry to stagnate, and is likely to
pull down 30-35% of the citys billboards.
The growth was around 16-18% last year. That is going to stop, said B.S. Sujay, managing director
of Sujay Advertising, which owns 200 billboards in Bangalore. The industrys earnings in the state
are estimated at Rs250 crore a year, he said.
In April, authorities in Chennai pulled down billboards without valid permits and those erected at
public places such as footpaths, following a directive by the Supreme Court.
The Tamil Nadu Outdoor Advertising Association, a body representing 80 agencies holding some
1,100 billboards, or hoardings as they are known, said its members took a hit of Rs18 crore because
of the move.
The loss (to all advertisers) in Chennai would be around Rs40-50 crore, said association president
A.G. Nayagam.

However, another trade body, the Tamil Nadu Private Site Hoardings Owners Association, estimated
the loss at around Rs100 crore.
We have been in this business for the last 20 years and now, we are totally at a loss, said K.
Chandrashekaran, the associations president. We dont know whether to wait and see what
happens next, or start new businesses.
Indias out-of-home, or OoH, advertising industry is growing because of increasing ad spending on
billboards that essentially supplement television and print commercials. The sector is also a key
source of income for city corporations and municipalities.
The segment is worth Rs1,800 crore, excluding retail, according to M. Kumar, general manager of
brand development at Jagran Engage, the outdoor advertising division of Kanpur-based publisher
Jagran Prakashan Ltd, which publishes Hindi daily Dainik Jagran. The industry last year grew at
28%, he said.
(OoH) gives a boost to revenues (of municipal bodies), Mukesh P. Mathur, a professor at the Delhibased National Institute of Urban Affairs told Mint on the phone.
Bangalores municipality hopes to collect nearlyRs90 crore through advertisement tax in the year to
March 2009, 10 times the revenue of Rs9 crore it earned in 2006-07. It also plans to attach
radiodevices on billboards tokeep track of licences and check violation.
But talk of a new policy has taken advertisers by surprise, because the Greater Bangalore City
Corporation was the first municipal body in the country to bring in revised by-laws for advertising in
2006 while most cities still follow laws dating back many decades.
The by-laws divided the city into zones and framed rules to monitor newer outdoor advertising
systems such liquid crystal displays.
We are not very clear as to what the government is thinking, said Manmohan Singh, secretary of
the Outdoor Advertisers Association, Bangalore. We have always been pushing for regulation (of
the industry).
The mushrooming of billboards has seen crackdowns even in Delhi and Mumbai that together
account for a close to 40% of the OoH industry in India. According to advertisers, authorities in both
cities are formulating laws to better regulate billboards and advertisements.
There has to be regulation for a robust outdoor industry, said Adille J. Sumariwalla, chairman and
managing director of Mumbai-based Clear Channel Communications India Pvt. Ltd.

You must specify sizes, distances between hoardings and safety standards. Illegal billboards can
also hike rates in the market, said Sumariwalla, who also sits on the board of the Indian Outdoor
Advertising Association, a body formed in 2007.

First Published: Thu, Aug 07 2008. 10 11 AM IST

SOURCE: http://www.livemint.com/Consumer/pjKToVQwdTghAOQxn8mYJO/Bangalore-takesChennai-path-in-checking-billboard-prolifera.html
CITIES BENGALURU

BANGALORE, February 18, 2013

Updated: February 18, 2013 11:43 IST

Political party leaders trying to cash in on social

events
Banners and posters covered the facades of most buildings on
Audugodi Main Road in Bangalore on Sunday causing visual
pollution. Photo: K.Murali Kumar
TOPICS
Karnataka
Bangalore

With polls coming soon, they are 'greeting people through banners, posters
It was an assault on the senses. With huge banners and posters covering up the facades of most
buildings on Audugodi Main Road, it was literally a case of visual pollution.
On the occasion of Audugodi Ooru Habba, political leaders of several parties chose to put up
posters wishing the residents. Posters of political leaders from opposing parties literally vied for
space with each other.
With Assembly elections just a few months away, various political parties are using every
opportunity that comes their way to further their interests and up the chances of their candidates
victory.
A shopkeeper in the area said that he was a resident of Audugodi for the past 15 years and had never
seen such a big deal being made of the local festival. Even before, a few banners used to be put up
near the grounds where the actual celebrations are held each year. Never have I seen so many posters
being put up. All this is surely because of the elections, he said.

The High Court of Karnataka has time and again directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike
(BBMP) to rid the city of these illegal and unauthorised hoardings, flexes, posters, banners, cut-outs
and buntings, to no avail. Every festival, thousands of such posters come up across the city.
The High Court had also directed the BBMP to make political leaders, whose photographs are
printed on the posters and banners put up illegally, as co-accused in the criminal cases booked for
disfigurement of public places, then automatically their followers will fall in line.
The BBMP claimed that over the past week, a drive was taken up in all the eight zones and over
13,000 flexes, posters, banners, cut-outs and buntings that had been put up without its permission
had been removed. In all zones, enforcement teams had been formed.
These teams have been removing the illegal flexes, posters, banners, cut-outs and buntings at night
during their rounds.
According to the law, those found guilty of putting up posters and banners illegally can be booked
under the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfiguration) Act, 1981.
Though the Act states that heavy penalties can be imposed along with police case being filed against
the accused, it has not been a deterrent.
Keywords: Audugodi Ooru Habba, BBMP, illegal hoardings, banners, Karnataka Assembly elections

SOURCE: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/political-party-leaders-trying-to-cash-in-onsocial-events/article4425629.ece
CITIES BENGALURU

BANGALORE, February 22, 2013

Updated: February 22, 2013 10:25 IST

157 billboards en route to airport pulled down

TOPICS
Karnataka
Bangalore
crime, law and justice

Panchayats to follow bylaws to grant licences for

hoardings
The State government on Thursday informed the Karnataka High Court that it had removed 157
mega-sized hoardings erected by advertisement agencies on either side of the national highway
leading to the Bengaluru International Airport.

The agencies had obtained licences from six gram panchayats (GPs) on the citys outskirts.
In the action taken report submitted to the court, E.V. Rama Reddy, Principal Secretary, Rural
Development and Panchayat Raj, said that though the GPs had issued licences for 66 hoardings, they
had no validity in law as the GPs had no such authority in the absence of bylaws as per the Karnataka
Panchayati Raj Act.
REPORT

Justice Ram Mohan Reddy had sought a report on hoardings put on either side of the highway in
connection with a petition filed by one of the advertising agencies.
Government counsel N.B. Vishwanath told the court 191 hoardings had been put up by obtaining
licences from Hunasamaranahalli, Sonnappanahalli, Doddajala, Chikkajala, Anneshwara, and
Kannamangala GPs. He also said the authorities could not remove 34 hoardings as the Devanahalli
civil court had restrained them following pleas of some advertisement agencies.
MODEL BYLAW

Meanwhile, the action taken report also stated that none of the gram panchayats has come out with
bylaws to issue licences and for this purpose the State government had, on February 18, 2013,
notified in the official gazette a model bylaw called the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Grama Panchayat
Control over Erection of Advertisement Hoardings) (Model Bylaw) 2012.
The report said that from now on all GPs across the State would have to grant licences for
advertisement hoardings as per the norms set out in the bylaw.
Following this, the court directed the government to initiate action to dispose of the cases pending
before the Devanahalli court.
Keywords: illegal hoardings, Karnataka Panchayati Raj Act, BBMP, banners

Hoardings End Up Costing the BBMP

By Express News Service - BANGALORE
Published: 20th February 2014 07:44 AM
Last Updated: 20th February 2014 10:53 AM

Repeated hiring of contractors to remove

hoardings and posters has resulted in huge losses
to the BBMP| sudhakara jain
Even after Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) removed over
21,000 illegal flexes, banners and buntings in the last four months, the Garden City is still not free of this visual
pollution.

From birthday wishes, condolences, welcome messages to national leaders visiting Bangalore to leaders greetings

citizens on various occasions, these hoardings dot the citys landscape.

And getting rid of them has not been an easy task for the civic agency, which is also losing revenue due to them.
BBMP had hired the services of contractors to remove illegal banners, buntings and flexes. In 2009, the task was
given to five contractors at a cost of `1.8 lakh per month, per contractor. Though their contract had expired, we
renewed it. And, until recently, we were depending on the same contractors, who charged extra for hiring cranes
for removal of iron materials from illegal structures. This was not just an additional burden on BBMP, but their
work was also not effective, sources in BBMP told City Express.
Now, the Palike, on trial basis, has given the job to five different agencies. This time, however, it is not spending
money. We have outsourced removal of illegal material to five agencies. Some of them will take away the iron
used for illegal structures as their fee, while some will take 50 per cent of the penalties collected. We are not
paying a single rupee. This is on trial for three months from January end. After this period, depending on the
result, we will deliberate on extension of the drive, said BBMP assistant commissioner (advertisement) Manjunath
Swamy.
BBMP has constituted a separate vigilance team to monitor removal of illegal hoardings and flexes. They will work
in co-ordination with an outsourced agency. BBMP authorities were successful in collecting `2.78 lakh in the form
of penalties over the last four months. This amount has been collected from East and South zones alone, however,
in the remaining six zones, penalty has not been collected. Palike officials need to lodge a complaint at nearby
police station wherever illegal hoardings are seen and levy penalty.

SOURCE: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/Hoardings-End-Up-Costing-theBBMP/2014/02/20/article2066365.ece
Sethu Das | September 2009

LET THE BILLBOARDS FALL!

From Alaska to Mumbai, concerned individuals and organisations fight not only for clean air and clean
water, but also for a clean environment sans billboards. Sethu Das of Design & People looks at

the advertisement billboards and their impact on

people and our environment.
IN a recent interview to the BBC World Service
Radio, Jaipur-born Executive Chairman of Ogilvy
India, Piyush Pandey disclosed that he was called a 'joker' by a top Vodafone official.
The story goes like this. Piyush Pandey was invited to Jaipur by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to
seek his advise on how to improve the appearance of the capital of Rajasthan. It did not take much
time for the most influential man in Indian advertising to understand that the Pink City is now under
attack by advertisement hoardings. While touring the city, he suggested that the Chief Minister should
get rid of hoardings which were shrouding Jaipur. This would bring the magnificent remains of Rajput
architecture to public eyes once again. On his return to Mumbai, Piyush Pandey received a call from
Vodafone informing him that some 'jokers' are advising the Rajasthan Chief Minister to remove
creative hoardings from city, a good number belonging to Vodafone, the mobile giant whose
subscriber base had increased by 20% due to a brand identity created by Piyush and his team at
Ogilvy.
Frederic Ogden Nash, a schoolteacher-turned poet known for his satirical poems writes in 'Song of
the Open Road':
"I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all."
And Turner Advertising hits back with a short poem without much delay:
"Ogden Nash may never have seen
A billboard he held dear
But neither did he see a tree
Grossing 20 grand a year."
Such is the creativity of global advertising giants.
The Outdoor Industry Trend Report of 1999-2008 shows that the top 20 outdoor spenders in the
United States include leading polluters and junk food promoters from Philip Morris to McDonald's.
The United States, a country that spends $6.99 billion on outdoor advertising has more than 5,50,000
billboards across the country and adds another 15,000 per year causing panic among pedestrians
and drivers. Remember, billboards are not just the usual hoardings we normally think of. The Outdoor
Advertising Association of America categorises outdoor formats into eightBulletins, Digital Billboards,
Spectaculars, Wall Murals, Posters, Wrapped Posters, Wrapped Square Posters and Junior Postersall
for the intellectual growth of their consumers! Spending on outdoor advertising continues to increase,
even during the most depressive recession periods. However, not everyone seems to be enjoying the
creative boards erected to make people buy products they never wanted to buy. In 1998 Alaska joined
three states in the United States to declare itself free of outdoor advertising with 72% voters in favour

of this policy. Athens removed all illegal hoardings in 2000 to give way to fresh air and sunlight and
also to expose its glorious architecture to the world. Brazil too instituted a ban on billboards resisting
the pressure and criticism of outdoor advertisers.
Harry McPhillimy heads 'St Werburghs Against Billboards Group', a pressure group based in South
West England campaigning for several years to free St Werburghs of advertising hoardings.
Thousands of people have already signed their petition and the campaign enjoys the moral support of
93% of the people living there. Harry feels that one of the main obstacles to the campaign is
persuading Bristol City Council to give priority to the issue amongst other Planning Enforcement
issues. He says "some boards will be harder to get rid of because they do not obviously contribute to
accident statistics and face an industrial estate so it is harder to argue a detrimental visual effect." Yet
the Group seems to be confident that with the help of local people and business community, one day
they would succeed in getting their land free of billboards.
There is a dramatic increase in the number of towering hoardings in most cities in Indiafrom Mumbai
to Kochi, Jaipur to Kolkataviolating the city policy guidelines. Dangerously placed hoardings have
already killed a number of people, mostly consumers of their own products. Dr Anahita Pandole,
Gynaecologist-turned activist who's been fighting illegal hoardings in Mumbai city filed a Public
Interest Litigation (PIL) in 2002 with the Bombay High Court demanding the removal of all illegal
hoardings mushrooming in the city and is expecting a Supreme Court ruling in October. Dr Anahitas
campaign to save public and open spaces, gardens and heritage sites in city too enjoys the support of
citizens and several NGOs.
Concerned individuals across the world not only fight for clean air and water but also for a clean
environment sans billboards. "Ninety-nine per cent of advertising doesn't sell much of anything" if
what David Ogilvy once said is true, neither the advertisers nor the consumers would lose anything
even if ninety-nine per cent hoardings are removed from public eyes. That could be a long wait.
Meanwhile let us wait for the natural fall of the so-called creative billboards to see our trees and hills
once again.

"Billboards are Imposed on Poorer

Communities"
Design & People speaks to Harry McPhillimy of 'St Werburghs Against Billboards Group,
a pressure group based in South West England. The group continues to campaign for

several years to free St Werburghs of advertising hoardings.

Sethu Das:
What prompted your community/organisation to start such a unique campaign to get rid of
billboards of St Werburghs? How old is the campaign and what is the current status?
Harry McPhillimy:
We always felt swamped by billboards. About five years ago more were put up and we decided
to resist this. We persuaded the council to research the legal status of the boards and the
planning grounds on which they could be removed. We organised a petition of over 1000 local
people. We did a survey that showed 93% wanted them gone. We held demonstrations and
gained publicity. There were 13 boards through the centre of our community now there are
eight and we are still campaigning. Where we have been successful is by working with the
council providing evidence of detriment
to safety or amenity (the only two legal
criteria that can be used) and mobilising
local pressure.
Sethu Das:
There are similar campaigns/agitations
going on at different parts of the world to
have a billboard free environment. Three
states in the United States have already
succeeded in making their states free of billboards. What are the main obstacles that your
organisation is facing with the Billboard Campaign?
Harry McPhillimy:
We know there have been successful campaigns in US states and other places such as Sao
Paulo in Brazil and Athens in Greece. Our main obstacles are persuading Bristol City Council to
give priority to this issue amongst other Planning Enforcement issues. Some boards will be
harder to get rid of because they do not obviously contribute to accident statistics and face an
industrial estate so it is harder to argue a detrimental visual effect. Another obstacle is keeping
our focus over a number of years.
Sethu Das:
Though it may not be considered a great success by some, but your Campaign has inspired a
lot of individuals and organisations to take up the issue at other places. Do you have any
message for those who've taken up similar issues at other parts of the globe?
Harry McPhillimy:
We would be happy just to inspire other local groups in Bristol to tackle their billboard blight. We
have found, unsurprisingly, that the boards tend to be imposed in the eyelines of poorer
communities and there are wealthier parts of Bristol without any. We are sympathetic to, but not
involved with, those who subvertise the advertising messages on these boards but only getting
them removed solves the problem of the particular form of visual pollution that is billboard

advertising. To anyone else out there go on and mobilise do your research, build your
support, make it inevitable.

(Above) How St Werburghs at Ashley Hill in South West England by Ivy Church used to be with
billboards around.
(Below) An indicative drawing from the anti-billboard campaign showing how St Werburghs
Gateway may look without billboards.

Sethu Das is the Co-founder of Design & People. He can be reached at:
sethu.das@designandpeople.org

SOURCE :http://www.designandpeople.org/sethu.das/let_the_billboards_fall.html#.VaIZjvmqqko
Visual pollution is an aesthetic issue and refers to the impacts of pollution that impair one's ability to
enjoy a vista or view.
Visual pollution disturbs the visual areas of people by creating negative changes in the natural
environment. Billboards, open storage of trash, space debris, telephone towers, electric wires,
buildings and automobiles are forms of visual pollution. An overcrowding of an area causes visual
pollution. Visual pollution is defined as the whole of irregular formations, which are mostly found in
natural and built environments.

Administrative negligence
The local management of urban areas lose control over what is built and assembled in public places.
As businesses look for ways to increase profits, cleanliness, architecture, logic and use of space in
urban areas are suffering from visual clutter. Variations in the environment are determined by the
location of various objects. For example, public transport stations, garbage cans, large panels and
stalls. Insensitivity of local administration is another cause for visual pollution. For example poorly
planned buildings and transportation systems create visual pollution. The increase in high-rise
buildings brings negative change to the visual and physical characteristics of a city, which reduces the
readability of the city and destroys natural environments.

Excessive advertising
Advertising is a mirror and shaper of public outlook, social behaviors and standards. A frequent
criticism against advertising is that there is too much of it. On the other hand, with the introduction of
new communication technologies the fragmentation and incentive nature of advertising methods will
improve, reducing clutter. For example, with the increase of mobile device usage, more money is
invested in advertising on social media websites and mobile device applications. Vandalism, in the
form of graffiti is defined as street markings, offensive and inappropriate messages made without the
owners consent. Graffiti adds to visual clutter in neighborhoods as it makes a disturbance of view.
Billboards are another example of excessive advertising. This form of visual pollution has been alleged
as a distraction for drivers, corrupting public taste, boosting the infinite need of consumption and
cluttering the land.

Effects
Effects of exposure to visual pollution include: distraction, eye
fatigue, decreases in opinion diversity, and loss of identity.

Prevention
United States
In the United States, there are several initiatives gradually taking place
to prevent visual pollution. The Federal Highway Beautification Act of
1965 limits billboards on Interstate highways and federally aided roads.
It has drastically decreased the amount of billboards placed on these
roads. Another highway bill, The Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 has made transportation facilities sync
with the needs of communities. This bill created a system of state and
national scenic byways and provided funds for biking trails, historic
preservation and scenic conservation.
The Dunn Foundation is an organization that increases public awareness of visual pollution and
landscape appearance in America through educational programs. The foundation has designed an
educationally interactive package for students from grades 3-12 for raising awareness about visual
pollution and they educate students on how to improve the visual environment in their communities.
Another example of a company working toward prevention of visual clutter is Scenic America; a nonprofit organization that envisions a future movement toward ensuring that scenic conservation boosts
the economy and decreases visual pollution. Businesses situated near and interstate can create
problems of advertising through large billboards, however now an alternative solution for advertisers is
gradually eliminating the problem. For example, logo signs that provide directional information for
travelers without disfiguring the landscape are increasing and are a step toward decreasing visual
pollution on highways in America. Thus, researchers believe that planners should help and encourage
citizens to maintain their communities as citizens have the power to influence government, especially
local and regional management where most issues regarding appearance and disclosed.

Brazil
In September 2006, So Paulo passed the Cidade Limpa (Clean City Law), outlawing the use of all
outdoor advertisements, including on billboards, transit, and in front of stores.

CITIES KOCHI

KOCHI, January 10, 2014

Updated: January 10, 2014 11:22 IST

Kochi to clean up its act, install modern street amenities

Funds for project expected from French agency, says Mayor

The visually polluted Kochi is all set for a clean-up act, with French aid expected to install and
maintain modern facilities like bus-waiting sheds, kiosks and toilets on streets.
This was decided following a concept presentation of how these public amenities were provided in
major cities, including New Delhi.
The presentation was made before Mayor Tony Chammany and a team of civic representatives, by
Pramod Bandulla, executive chairman of the Paris-based company JCDecaux.
Bids will be invited for the purpose and an agency shortlisted to install and maintain these
amenities. Funding for the purpose is expected from French development financing agency AFD. Our
aim is to clear the city of visual pollution caused by ill-maintained street amenities, hoardings etc.,
Mr Chammany said, while speaking to the media here on Thursday.
The benefit is two fold these modern facilities will ensure a beautiful city, while augmenting the
corporations revenue, he said. The agency that would set up the amenities as a PPP initiative will get
back its investment through selling advertisement space atop them. The corporation will get a
portion of the advertisement revenue without any investment.
Cluttered look
Earlier, Mr Bandulla said that most Indian cities have a cluttered look because of ramshackle public
infrastructure and haphazard advertisement boards. Mr Chammany said that AFD has promised
help for encouraging use of bicycles in heritage zones like Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.
The Kochi Corporation is planning to pull down all unauthorised hoardings/boards by the month
end since they have become eyesores across the city, the Mayor said.
Very soon, hoardings and boards will be limited to 30 places in the city. Alongside commissioning of
Kochi Metro, we need to weed out visual pollution from the city. The clean-up drive is part of this
endeavour.
Encroachers
To a question on encroachers and street vendors obstructing movement of pedestrians and vehicles,
Mr Chammany said that a special drive began in December to remove them from footpaths and
roads. He spoke of how some encroachers who were evicted are purchasing used cargo autos and
selling goods in them, worsening chaos at many junctions. We have sought the help of Motor
Vehicles Department to cancel the permit of these autos since it is an illegal activity.
On the model-road project envisaged a decade ago in the Broadway-Rajendra Maidan stretch, but
became a non-starter, Mr Chammany said that the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry had
promised to pool in with help to revive the project. The road is a haven for encroachers and vendors.

Also in attendance at the presentation were Cheikh Dia, Acting Director of AFD South Asia Office
(New Delhi) and Gautier Kohler, Project Coordinator (New Delhi) and Elias George, MD of Kochi
Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
Keywords: JCDecaux, Kochi clean-up, Tony Chammany, Kochi Corporation
SOURCE: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/kochi-to-clean-up-its-act-install-modernstreet-amenities/article5561508.ece

Corp to Earmark Areas for Advertisements

Author: Express News Service

Published Date: Jan 18, 2014 11:26 AM

Last Updated: Jan 18, 2014 11:26 AM

It has mooted a proposal for curbing erratic erection of billboards and pasting of posters
In order to prevent the visual pollution caused by billboards, posters and advertisement slips stuck on the walls and
trees, the Kochi Corporation has come up with a new plan.
As per the new proposal the Corporation will allow erection of advertisement boards only select areas of the city. The
boards will be tendered and given to select agencies. The small-scale advertisers usually find it easy to paste
posters on walls and even trees for promoting their product. Such advertisers usually do not pay any fees to the
Corporation Moreover, such advertisements are visually polluting, said Mayor Tony Chammany.
As per the new plan, such advertisements will be allowed only in the areas that are identified by the Corporation. The
Corporation is looking into regulating billboards erected or pasted on the walls by political parties and religious
organisiations.
Earlier, the Corporation had devised a plan to install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system which would help
in electronically tagging every flex-hoardings in the city. The installation of RFID trackers is expected to regulate and
regularise the hoardings erected in the city. The RFID tracking system includes a reader and an electronic tag
attached to the hoarding. The equipment has been delivered and the installation of the same will commence soon,
said Kochi Corporation Town Planning Committee chairman K J Sohan.
He said the Corporation Council had already approved the proposal. With the help of radio waves, the advertisement
boards will be identified. The vehicles equipped with the RFID equipment will scan the hoardings and its exact size
and location will be identified, he said.
Sohan said that usually some of the advertisers submit fees and obtain permission to erect billboards in the city. But
at the time of erection, the size of the hoarding is most often changed. The RFID tracking system will help prevent
such illegal practices, he said.

Earlier, the Kochi Corporation had enacted a bylaw for curbing the increasing number of illegal flex hoardings in the
city and to regularise the hoardings. The bylaw was prepared as per the guidelines of the Indian Road Congress
(IRC). The IRC norms clearly specify that hoardings erected on the sides of roads should be at a minimum distance
of 50 metres from the road and at least 15-metres high.
As per the bylaw, the erection of advertisement boards on the walls of historic monuments, public parks, public
buildings and traffic islands will also be restricted. The advertisers now need to obtain permission in writing from the
Corporation Secretary before placing advertisement boards in the city. The Film distributors should pay a fee and
obtain permission from the Corporation Secretary for pasting cinema posters at designated places in the city. Posters
for which clearance has not been obtained will be treated as unauthorised ones.

SOURCE: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/Corp-to-Earmark-Areas-forAdvertisements/2014/01/18/article2005104.ece?service=print

Flex Boards A Bane Going Unnoticed

Quite like plastic, the synthetic polymer used for flex is also non bio degradable. But why no action?
| Radhika C A
On Apr 15, 2013
Kochi: While traffic pollution, noise pollution
have become constant subjects of discussion,
visual pollution is one such that doesnt get
much attention. The visual pollution refers to
anything like banners, huge cut outs and flex
hoardings that would hamper the visual beauty,
affect the environment and sometimes even pose
threat
to
life.
In the Cochin city alone, hundreds of modern
water proof flex boards and banners mushroom
every day for several causes and reasons.
Interestingly, most of them are from the leaders
of the ruling front conveying their personal
achievements or to send seasonal and festival
wishes
to
the
public.
Sometimes, these bill boards announce the
arrival of spiritual gurus or of upcoming expos in
the city. Taking the cue fan clubs of movie stars
are constantly vying for public attention by
hoisting huge cutouts and posters. In total, the
contribution from all these groups has marred
the charm of this heritage city.

While talking to Yentha, noted environmentalist and social

worker M P Prasad said that flex is quite similar to plastic.
Though it has many advantages over cloth, it is highly
hazardous and it can cause imbalance to the natural
ecosystem. We are protesting right from the beginning and
to save our ecology this should be banned, he added.

In fact, the rising number of flex and printed

hoardings are not just an eyesore, but a chronic
environmental hazard. Quite like plastic, the
synthetic polymer used for flex is also non bio
degradable and they dont decompose in the soil.
When it burns, it emits toxic fumes which can
cause chronic ailments like cancer and other
infertility
problems.
But owing to the advantages, the printers prefer
flex over cloth banners. Unlike cloth, we can
generate high quality desired graphics and
designs on flex in a very short span of time. Also
the output quality would be superior and the
material is durable, says Jaison of Orakle digital
media,
Kochi.

Flex and these banners do no good to us and we all know

that the illegal banners hoisted by political party aims only
at cheap publicity. Defacing public spaces by erecting flex
boards is a blatant violation of law and strict action should
be taken against those violators, irrespective of the colour
of the flag, said Arathy, a journalism student.
Even if the public is aware of the hazardous side of such
hoardings, the civic authorities continue their deep
slumber. They should learn that environment protection
and economic growth should go hand in hand, unless, it
would result in the catastrophe of the society.

Unfortunately, it seems that nobody, even the

authorities or the public are bothered about the
flex or its impact on the environment. To an
extent, the city dwellers are also quite engrossed
in the visual explosion created by these huge
hoardings. Some billboards are obscene and
these banners are found at vantage points in the
city sometimes even distracting motorists. In
some place, even footpaths have not been spared
and this causes huge inconvenience to
pedestrians. Accidents due to any of these cannot
even be identified!

SOURCE: http://www.yentha.com/news/view/1/flex-boards-a-bane-going-unnoticed-

Corporation speeds up process to implement a no free

advertising policy

TNN | Jul 7, 2014, 01.13AM IST

KOCHI: As part of the plans to generate more revenue, the cash-strapped Kochi corporation has
decided to speed up implementation of a no free advertising policy.
The local body intends to bring all advertisements put up within the city limits under the
preview of the policy. Corporation officials say when the civic body implements the policy it
won't be possible to paste or put up advertisements at public places, buildings, treetops and
other areas which are so far not regulated.
"Irrespective of the size and material used, advertisers will have to get the local body's approval
as well as remit taxes for putting up advertisements. Such a move will help to bring in smallscale advertisers within tax brackets. It may also help to control visual pollution," says a senior
corporation official. As per the new proposal the civic body will allow erecting advertisement
boards only at select locations. The boards will be tendered and given to advertising agencies.
The corporation's town planning section says that it is involved in the process of collecting the
number and details of all advertisements in the city. It expects to complete the entire process
within two months. Moreover, the local body also informed that all equipment required for
installing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) was ready and it would begin the process of
installing it as soon as the data on hoardings was available.
"There is a state government order, which demands strict removal of all unauthorized
advertisements. All local bodies, the PWD and even National Highways Authority of India
(NHAI) are bound to adhere to it," said K J Sohan, town planning committee chairman.
The advertisement bylaw implemented in the city was prepared as per the guidelines of the
Indian Road Congress (IRC). The IRC norms specify that hoardings erected on the sides of roads
should be at a minimum distance of 50 metres from the road and at least 15 metres high. The
bylaw prohibits installing advertisement boards on the walls of historic monuments, at public
parks, public buildings and on traffic islands.
"Irrespective of the size and material used, advertisers will have to get the local body's approval
as well as remit taxes for putting up advertisements. Such a move will help to bring in smallscale advertisers within tax brackets. It is also expected that it will help to control visual
pollution," said a senior corporation official. As per the new proposal the civic body will allow
erection of advertisement boards only at select locations. The boards will be tendered and given
to advertising agencies.
The corporation's town planning section informed that there were involved in the process of
collecting the numbers and details of all advertisements in the city. They expect to the complete
the entire process within two months. Moreover, the local body also informed that all equipment
required for installing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is ready, and they would begin the
process of installing it as soon as the data on hoardings is ready.

"There is a state government order which demands strict removal of all unauthorized
advertisements. All local bodies, public work department (PWD), and even National Highway
Authority of India (NHAI) is bound to follow the order," said K J Sohan, town planning
committee chairman.
The advertisement bylaw implemented in the city was prepared as per the guidelines of the
Indian Road Congress (IRC). The IRC norms specify that hoardings erected on the sides of roads
should be at a minimum distance of 50 metres from the road and at least 15 metres high. It is
not possible to install advertisement boards on the walls of historic monuments, public parks,
public buildings and traffic islands under the bylaw.

SOURCE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Corporation-speeds-up-processto-implement-a-no-free-advertising-policy/articleshow/37922372.cms

Lets all now say Merci Francaise

Yeah, the French development agency AFD - Agence Franaise
de Dveloppement which supports Kochi Metro Rail also
decided to support Corporation of Cochin in developing
sustainable urban beautification project.
Along with support of French private player JCDecaux, AFD will support in funding and developing an effective PPP
venture by which the new company will develop each selected areas of city and beautify it. This includes common
pedestrian pathway pattern, developing green zones, developing proper bus shelters, public toilets, street lighting,
cycling tracks and restraining visual pollution by scientific development of hoarding points.
The Corporation will also restrain unauthorized hawkers and create quality hawker zones. The project is expected to
roll by March 2014. The meeting was attended by Cheikh Dia, Acting Director of AFD South Asia Office (New Delhi)
and Gautier Kohler, Project Coordinator (New Delhi) and Elias George, MD of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL).
SOURCE:
https://www.facebook.com/Kochi.Cochin/photos/a.202771009807745.50763.202412496510263/564425186975657/?
type=1

Road Safety Council to crack down on hoardings along

roads, medians

The Hindu

Road safety Council has decided to remove advertisement boards

and hoardings that divert the attention of drivers. Photo: Vipin
Chandran
road transport

Road Safety Council has decided to crack down on

advertisement boards and hoardings along the roads by
bringing about a censorship for erecting them.
The move comes after hoardings were found to be distracting drivers attention, leading to accidents,
district collector P.I. Sheikh Pareed told a meeting of the Road Safety Council held recently.
Local bodies have been told that the consent of the Road Safety Council should be sought before
permitting advertisement boards and hoardings along roads. Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer
B.J. Antony told The Hindu that such a rule was already in place but wasnt followed. Besides, the
Road Safety Council also didnt meet frequently.
The council had received complaints on advertisements being placed even on medians on National
Highways by cutting down trees. The complaints were found to be true and the decision to make
prior clearance of the council mandatory for erecting advertisement boards was recommended by
both the police and the Motor Vehicles Department.
The advertisement boards placed on the median of the National Highway and along the roads will
now be removed. In extreme cases, the violators would be prosecuted, Mr. Antony said.
Ban on putting up advertisements in bus shelters is also on the anvil.
The recommendations of a traffic audit conducted on Seaport-Airport Road, which is vulnerable to
accidents, were also discussed. Mr. Antony said the recommendations would be implemented within
ten days after discussing with stakeholders.
For pedestrians, the Road Safety Council had decided to install blinkers near Zebra crossings. The
decision is based on the fact that about 60 per cent of the deaths between January and April were
along such crossings, and the victims were mostly senior citizens. Pedestrian crossings will be
marked on the stretch between Muttom and Aroor of the National Highway. The council also
conceded to the demand of the traffic police to erect boundary stones on the Aluva-Muttom stretch
of the national highway.
Keywords: Road Safety Council, Kerala road safety, advertisement boards
SOURCE: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/road-safety-council-to-crack-down-onhoardings-along-roads-medians/article4677697.ece
HOME KERALA

January 4, 2013

Authorities should flex muscle against hoardings

Transporting construction materials in a careless manner and without

proper security is posing threat to motorists in the city. A scene from
Sahodaran Ayyappan Road. Photo: H. Vibhu

The Collector has taken the initiative to repair all city roads
and remove illegal flex boards/hoardings in the run-up to the
Pravasi Bharathiya Divas convention to be held in Kochi. At
important and busy places like Madhava Pharmacy Junction,
High Court Junction and KPCC Junction flex boards obstruct
the free left turn of vehicles and footpath railings also are not free of these hoardings/flex boards. I
request the authorities to get rid of flex boards at least from major junctions and footpaths.
--Joshua Kurien, Kochi.
Mayor Tony Chammany
I have been receiving complaints on flex boards, hoardings and advertisements that not only obstruct
the free pedestrian movement but also make this city visually polluted. The corporation has taken
steps to remove the illegal hoardings /flex and to limit them as far as possible. However soon after
they are removed some reappear.
We have been convening meetings of political parties, religious institutions and others organisations
to find a solution to this problem. A bylaw on display of advertisements in the city, passed by the
Corporation Council and published in the gazette, will be implemented as soon as possible.
The corporation is also planning to introduce technically advanced technology such as the RFID
(Radio Frequency Identification) tagging system which allows only authorized flex/hoardings to be
displayed.
A significant number of well-managed cities, globally, discourage the use of hoardings/flex within
the city limits. Notices and banners are pasted in every free space available in the city. Too much
'visual cluster' at or near intersections, junctions and medians are found to distract drivers, leading
to accidents.
Neglecting the city's aesthetic beauty, big companies are found to display their hoardings/flex-boards
in every nook and corner of the city. Advertisers should look for other options for displaying and
marketing their services and products without interfering with citys splendor.
I wish the public were more aware of this menace. Their protests will help stop the unauthorized
hoardings from being put up in public spaces.
Watch your head!

Vehicles loaded with materials dangerously jutting out and causing inconvenience to vehicles trailing
them are a common sight on our roads. They cause accidents and block traffic. Will the authorities
act against the violators and ensure that only goods that fit in the carriers are allowed to be
transported?
--Terby George, Kochi
Commissioner K. G James
We will take action against such traffic violations. Public can text message Assistant Commissioner of
Police (ACP) Traffic East (9497990068) or ACP Traffic West (9497990067) mentioning the
registration number of the vehicles and the kind of material transported.
It will help the police take appropriate action.
Ear drummers
Land close to residential areas is being used to store and supply sand. The roar of the tipper lorries
and earth movers operated for loading and unloading the sand is upsetting the peaceful
neighbourhood. It also causes health problems to people prone to allergies. Public can register
complaints if a toll-free number is provided.
--Sushil N., Kochi
Collector Sheikh Pareeth
We will definitely take up such matters with the Pollution Control Board if they are found causing
pollution and health problems to residents. The public can call up the telephone numbers at the
Collectorate 2422292 or 2422294.
Compiled by
K.K. Sankaran
SOURCE: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/authorities-should-flexmuscle-against-hoardings/article4271636.ece