Politicians, traders and others have converted the City an ‘Ugly City’ by erecting illegal and pollution-causing vinyl posters
KARIMNAGAR, OCTOBER 12, 2024: Thanks to the lethargy on the party of officials of Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar and district administration, the Karimnagar Town, which is otherwise claimed as Smart City, has turned into ‘Ugly City’ with the visual pollution caused by various sections of society by erecting pollution causing vinyl posters in entire Karimnagar including main roads and gullies.
Though the government claims that the erection of vinyl posters is banned in the town, the MCK’s drive against defacing the city appears to have run out of steam. With the elections round the corner for the MLC from the Karimnagar Graduates constituency, the contestants erected illegal posters, and on the occasion of Bathukamma and Dasara festival, the posters surfaced wishing citizens well.
Ironically, private hospitals, hotels, tiffin centres, and other businesses have also erected illegal posters on the roads, causing serious inconvenience to the road users. Almost all the Traffic islands are filled with illegal vinyl posters and they did not even spare the electric poles in the entire Karimnagar town.
Officials of the MCK and district administration frequently talk about on this ‘visual pollution’ going on in the town and take action against the illegal posters, banners and vinyl posters, but in vain. Freshly, the cut-outs are coming in various parts of the town causing serious inconvenience to the road users.
But, the officials remain a mute spectator to the visual pollution and also the pollution being caused to the environment as the publicity material is printed on plastic, which is banned. But no action is taken against the flexi-sign printers in the town to check pollution and save environment.
If the MCK cannot check the illegal poster menace, at least it can impose fines after its erection in the town and take action accordingly, said Lok Satta Udyama Samstha Karimnagar town coordinator KS Narayana. “What is the MCK doing when several illegal plastic posters are coming up and causing serious problems to the environment”, he asked.
Though, the MCK authorities are taking action against the single-use plastic bags, then why can’t they take action against the most dangerous vinyl posters in the town, he questioned. He also said that the illegal posters were causing traffic snarls due to visual disturbances. Besides, the sticks and posters dangling and falling down on the vehiclists causing serious traffic problems in the town.
The Lok Satta udyama samstha leader demanded the MCK and District administration to strictly implement the Defacement of Public and Private Properties Act and pull down all illegal posters and hoardings in the town. Similarly, the MCK should impose heavy fines on the violators and increase its revenues, he stated.
What is the meaning of Smart City with illegal hoardings and pollution-causing vinyl posters being erected without any permission from the MCK officials, asked Arun, the Lok Satta Udyama Samstha activist.
“We should all strive to make the city look beautiful. Many eateries and politicians erected such material for marketing their venture. But these banners and posters not only make the streets look ugly but are also dangerous since they can block the view of commuters on the roads and traffic junctions,” he said.
In the recent past, the High Court orders and Acts clearly stated to discourage people from resorting to such practices. However, the MCK and district Collectorate, which are the seats of power, also became the venue for such illegal banners, and the authorities failed to act immediately.
Incidentally, the Traffic police are also negligent regarding the illegal posters which are causing traffic snarls. Instead of taking pictures of motorists not wearing helmets, the Traffic police should ensure that there are no illegal posters in the town, the local residents say.
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