KOCHI: Kerala High Court has held that all unauthorised arches, display boards, hoardings, placards and banners with poles or frames which abut highways, public streets, and pedestrian pavements should forthwith be removed. The court ordered that cluster of wires on trees and electrical poles should be regulated by statutory authorities. The court also directed district collectors to take appropriate action for removing them as per the existing rules.
The court issued the order on a petition filed by Johny Kulangara of Thrissur, Khalid Mundappally of Aluva and others seeking a directive to remove unauthorised and unwanted posters, advertisement boards, hoardings, cut-outs, buntings, hangings and billboards placed on public roads and streets, and to recover the expenses incurred for the same from the persons or companies responsible for it.
The order stated that the executive engineer of the PWD should identify the structures, hoardings, advertisement boards and displays endangering road safety and take immediate steps for their removal.
The court held that no poles, frames or structures for arches, boards, placards, hoardings, display boards or banners shall be erected on any highway, public road, public passage or pedestrian pathway or pavement. Craters that developed on pavements and roads, by reason of erection of frames, poles, structures, placards, hoardings, display boards and banners should be repaired.
The secretaries of local self-government department, PWD and state highways should issue appropriate instructions for effective implementation of the court’s directive. Principal secretaries to the government, works department and LSG institutions have been directed to issue instructions to the field officers to remove nails struck on trees for putting up sign boards, advertisements and pamphlets.