JOIN USThe disfigured face of the City
While the City’s walls and trees shout out for attention with posters and pamphlets stuck on them, even the ‘Namma Metro’ pillars are becoming an eyesore. One can always find either posters, flyers or their ugly remains on them.
The surprising part is that most of these posters can be found on the columns or pillars of the metro in the Central Business District area too.
“There are posters with faces of politicians that can be seen at metro stations like the Swami Vivekananda Road, MG Road and Trinity metro stations. This is irresponsible behaviour on part of the leaders,” says Akansha Jhumruwala, a software professional. She adds that not always are these politicians responsible for these posters as their followers put these fliers up on occasions like their birthdays.
Others like Suhas, a graduate, says that the colours on these pamphlets are distracting. “We already have enough traffic jams in the City and it is surprising how sometimes people stop to read the fliers which advertise about paying guest accommodations, courses being offered etc,” points out Suhas.
He adds that these fliers, which can also be seen on most walls in the City, confuse motorists and cause accidents.
With Bangalore being a City of expatriates and frequented by people from abroad, citizens like Farhan Zain, a professional, say that it is a big contradiction when the authorities try to beautify a place leaving the prime areas dirty. “It gives a false image about the progress of the City. Strict regulations need to be laid down and paid heed to,” he says.
These posters are not just confined to metro stations but also at pillars near the tracks which are still being laid. Preeti Vishwas, a counsellor, says, “One can see them at many upcoming projects, which haven’t opened yet. It’s hard to keep track of the perpetrators as most of them stick these fliers in the night.” She suggests a strict fine and monitoring to be done near Metro pillars where fliers are stuck on a regular basis. The BMRCL officials say that the local authority (BBMP) has to take action in this regard. Pradeep Singh Kharola, Managing Director of BMRCL, says, “We can’t have ‘Stick No Bills’ specified on each column. It is a fact that people shouldn’t be sticking fliers on the pillars. To avoid this, we have tried to make the surface of the pillars corrugated so that sticking fliers isn’t easy.”
The BBMP says that sticking of fliers and posters in unauthorised spaces is one of their major concerns. “This is an offence under the Disfigurement of Public Property Act. Some of the most knowledgeable and well-known people have fliers stuck in important places and this is a nuisance. This can be seen even in areas that we have been beautifying,” points out M Lakshminarayana, Commissioner, BBMP.
He adds that the Metro pillars are public property and awareness needs to be created about the same.
“The fine is Rs 500 per offence but it can multiply according to the quantity of the fliers stuck. Clear instructions have been issued on removal of these fliers and they are being regularly removed,” he says.
Lakshminarayana says that there have been no specific instructions to clear the fliers on the metro pillars but it is covered under the rule.