THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the High Court breathing down its neck, the city corporation has launched special drives to crack down on violators and remove illegal flex boards, hoardings and banners from medians, traffic islands, footpaths and public spaces posing risk to the environment, pedestrians and motorists in the state capital.
According to TALCO (Thiruvananthapuram Labour Contract Association), an agency engaged by the civic body for managing flexes and hoardings in the capital city, around 8,000 hoardings and illegal flex boards have been removed in the past couple of days as part of the drive. The civic body has formed special squads with revenue inspectors in charge to conduct the drive and intensify enforcement.
The accumulation of flex waste is also turning into a major menace for the civic body. It is learned that around 9 tonnes of flex and hoarding waste is lying piled up in the city owing to lack of scientific solutions.
In the past four days, around Rs 16 lakh has been imposed as fine for various violations. Corporation secretary Jahangir S told TNIE that seven FIRs have been registered charging multiple violators in connection with the drive. The civic body is imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 for each hoarding from violators. According to officials of the revenue wing, more than `1 lakh has been collected during the drive.
The amicus curiae appointed by the High Court is in the state capital directly monitoring the actions being taken by the civic body. “We have issued a circular directing the revenue officials in charge of zonal offices to ensure the removal of hoardings and for taking action. Being the capital city, hoarding and flex menace is a major challenge. We are planning to carry out enforcement in a sustainable manner by constituting a special squad dedicated for monitoring and taking timely action,” said Jahangir S.
According to sources, the civic body has called for an all-party meeting to prevent further violations. “The meeting will happen within a week with political parties, trade organisations, NGOs, trade organisations to prevent further violations,” said an official source.
According to TALCO, the Clean Kerala Company Ltd has refused to take the accumulated flex waste. “Around 9 tonnes of flex waste collected since 2021 is lying unattended as we don’t have a scientific solution to handle them. We have raised this issue with the authorities. Also we are in the efforts to set up a plant for processing flex waste and convert it into threads,” said an official of TALCO.