THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: City roads, pedestrian ways, hand railings and medians in the capital have been taken over by illegal hoardings, flex boards and banners put up by various political organisations in blatant violation of the High Court order.
However, owing to political pressure, the city corporation and other agencies responsible for enforcing the directive are forced to turn a blind eye toward the violations, which are endangering the lives of motorists and pedestrians.
“Pedestrians are the worst affected because of these illegal hoardings. Look at the footpaths, most of them are encroached upon by these boards. It is dangerous to walk on the city roads during heavy traffic, but at the same time there is not enough space on footpaths due to the hoardings and street vendors,” says Renuka Gopakumar, a commuter.
She is not alone. Complaints have been rising among city residents for a long time about hoardings hijacking the footpaths. “The majority of these hoardings are located in the junctions. And they block the view of the drivers. Such distractions would put the lives of pedestrians in danger. The authorities keep ignoring these violations,” says Ravilal Gold, a local resident.
Interestingly, a majority of the hoardings and flex boards are erected by the ruling parties and the ruling council of the corporation. The recent government circular, which contradicts the High Court directive, has further landed the authorities in a fix.
Advocate Harish Vasudevan, amicus curiae appointed by the Court to take action against illegal hoardings, says the directives and interim orders issued by the High Court against illegal hoardings are not implemented in the state.
“Thiruvananthapuram being the power centre is the worst when it comes to illegal hoardings. Even government programmes are done violating the rules. The government has failed to enforce the ban in the state,” he adds.
Last month, the High Court came down against the government for issuing a circular which did not reflect its directive on hoardings in public places. The court pointed out that the circular did not prevent the installation of flags on road margins, road medians or traffic islands. It directed the government to revise the circular with more stringent restrictions to curb illegal hoardings.
‘Political consensus needed’
A senior corporation official says political pressure is the reason for the civic body’s inaction. “If we remove any of the political banners, the respective party would create issues. We are unable to take action because of this. There needs to be a political consensus to curb the growing menace,” says the official.
As per the new circular of the state government, organisations should get prior permission from the local body to put up hoardings and banners. They should also remove them within the stipulated time frame.
Otherwise, a deposit should be given to the local body for removing them. If the party violates the circular, a fine would be imposed and action would be initiated against the violator.
Following complaints regarding the growing hoarding menace, the city corporation has decided to convene a meeting with the representatives of all political parties. Mayor Arya Rajendran says the civic body will strongly implement the government circular and the directive from the High Court.
“We will convene a meeting with the district leaders of all political parties before implementing the court’s directive. Most political parties spend a lot of money on putting up hoardings and banners. We want to make them aware of the rules and reach a consensus before implementing the circular,” she adds.
The civic body also plans to designate certain areas for hoardings. “The parties and organisations should remove the hoarding after the stipulated time,” says Arya. The civic body will also identify stretches and roads which would be maintained as hoardings/banners free.
Ironically, city residents point to hoardings of the mayor herself to raise complaints. Many city folks say hoardings and banners should be restricted to places such as bus stations. “People gather increasingly in such areas,” says a resident.
“The weather conditions have also changed. During heavy rain and wind, these hoardings put up haphazardly are likely to fall on people. The authorities should curb the menace before accidents occur,” says M S Venugopal, president of the Federation of Residents Association Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT).
Safety auditing soon
An official of the Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA) says it has given directives to all stakeholders including police, and district administration, to remove all obstructions that affect the traffic flow and endanger the lives of the public. “We have been issuing orders from time to time. We sought reports from the district collector in 2021. We had asked for a detailed report from the district-level committee. Members from PWD, local body, revenue department and motor vehicle department are part of the committee. We asked them to visit public places and submit a report.” The KRSA is also planning to carry out safety auditing in the capital where accidents are reported. “We will form a task force at the local level to assess the situation and take action,” says the official.