Cleaner walls are what the city may see if the Coimbatore Corporation has its way. A resolution passed at Friday’s Council meeting asked the Corporation officials to initiate stringent action against those who stick bills and paint/draw on walls and also sponsor them.
Action
The action will be under the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
Mayor S.M. Velusamy, following suggestions from a few councillors, said that henceforth the civic body would not allow sticking bills and wall graffiti at all places.
The same would apply to all other outdoor advertisements such as placing boards. Such placing of boards affected traffic flow and also led to loss of revenue to the civic body.
The Commissioner shall talk to the Coimbatore City Police and initiate action in the next couple of days, the Mayor said and added that action should also be initiated against those who place small and big hoardings.
The Act paves way for the Corporation to issue permission for three days to place hoardings.
Restrictions
The permission comes with restrictions such as the size of hoardings, though. The charge that is collected for placing the hoardings goes to the civic body’s coffers.
Joining the issue in the Council, P. Rajkumar, chairman, North Zone, said that the Corporation should also take action against those who advertise on trees.
By driving rusted nails on trees, the advertisers kill the trees. Such advertisements should also be banned.
South Zone chairman M. Perumalsamy suggested that the Corporation should make a distinction between commercial graffiti and non-commercial graffiti – meaning that the Corporation should allow political parties to draw on walls.
But the Mayor dismissed the suggestion.
Mr. Velusamy said that the rule shall apply to all. He then included the suggestions on banning advertisements on trees and said that the Council had unanimously adopted the resolution.
