The Times of India    20.08.2012

Mysore City Corporation flexes its muscle to curb visual pollution in Mysore

MYSORE: When the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) started a drive to remove banners some days ago, buntings and cutouts which were illegally put up in the central business district, it was expecting the violators to fall in line. It was in tune with the state government's move to remove visual pollutants in the tourist hub. Within days, they staged a comeback.

Faced with scant regard for the regulation, the MCC is now seeking to enforce the ban like they do during election time when the violation attracts strict punishment.

The civic body has made the first move asking the printing presses where vinyl advertisement banners are printed to get the details of the persons who place the order and publish it on the prints, commonly called as flex. This is to ensure that the outdoor advertising banners are tagged so that they can be traced.

There is a reason: The MCC is finding it difficult to fix the responsibility for the lapse. In case of such details, it can track the violators.

"We've filed cases for defacement and removed the vinyl banners. But, still they are being put up defacing the public places. We want to effectively tackle the menace," corporation commissioner M R Ravi said.

"This is like what we do during the election time when the printing presses are directed to furnish details. We've made a request now and hope that they will help us. In case they don't, we'll issue notices. We have the provision to cancel the trade licences issued by us," he told TOI.

The MCC is using provisions contained in the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981. Some years ago, A B Ibrahim, the then commissioner had removed the banners and buntings in the city a day after the elections and had ordered the amount spent for the removal from the candidates and the political parties.

The civic body is keen to emulate it now since the vinyl banners are dotting the city's length and breadth marring the beauty.

This comes amid the MCC's move to restrict display of ads by way of hoardings and poll-ads in the city centre. Most of the banners that are being put up are digitally printed on large format. There are some 30 printing presses in the city of which 10 print vinyl banners that have become fashionable to display, be it birthday or death anniversary.