Despite repeated warnings of legal action and penalties, unauthorised posters continue to deface public spaces in Coimbatore. In a recent clean-up drive, Corporation workers removed posters from a wall near the Coimbatore Medical College signal and painted awareness messages on waste segregation.
Even as efforts to beautify Coimbatore continue through Smart City initiatives, civic projects and the participation of voluntary organisations, unauthorised posters continue to undermine such efforts in several localities. Mural paintings, wall art, landscaping and other beautification projects have been undertaken across the city, but public walls continue to be defaced with advertisements and posters.
Despite repeated announcements by the Coimbatore Corporation about action and fines against those defacing public spaces, walls in several parts of the city continue to be covered with posters advertising businesses, events, political activities and other commercial campaigns. Apart from making the city appear untidy, the repeated defacement of walls also results in additional expenditure and manpower being required for their removal. Civic workers are often required to scrape off posters, remove adhesive residue and repaint walls that could otherwise have remained clean.
In a recent instance, a wall near the Coimbatore Medical College signal on Avinashi Road, falling under Ward 24 of the Corporation’s East Zone, was cleared of posters that had been pasted across the structure.
Corporation workers removed the advertisements and cleaned the wall as part of efforts to restore its appearance. Instead of leaving the cleared surface bare, the wall was subsequently used to display awareness messages, particularly on the importance of segregating waste at source.
The latest clean-up effort near the Coimbatore Medical College signal also underlines the potential for public spaces to be used for civic awareness rather than commercial advertisements. The waste-segregation messages painted on the wall are intended to encourage residents to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste before handing it over for collection.
However, the recurring poster menace remains a concern, particularly when beautification and cleanliness efforts are being carried out simultaneously across the city. Unless those responsible for pasting unauthorised advertisements are deterred and public spaces are monitored more effectively, civic authorities may continue to face the repetitive task of cleaning and restoring walls that are repeatedly defaced.
The contrast between the poster-covered wall and its subsequent transformation into an awareness space serves as another reminder of the challenge Coimbatore faces in keeping its public spaces clean while pursuing its larger beautification goals.
Social activists said the continued defacement of public spaces reflected a lack of civic responsibility and called for stricter and more consistent enforcement by the Corporation. They said merely announcing fines was unlikely to serve as an effective deterrent unless action was regularly taken against violators.
They also pointed out that offenders often go unpunished, which could encourage others to continue pasting posters on public walls. The activists urged the Corporation to consistently impose fines and initiate legal action against repeat offenders to curb the practice.
Despite repeated announcements by the Coimbatore Corporation about action and fines against those defacing public spaces, walls in several parts of the city continue to be covered with posters advertising businesses, events, political activities and other commercial campaigns. Apart from making the city appear untidy, the repeated defacement of walls also results in additional expenditure and manpower being required for their removal. Civic workers are often required to scrape off posters, remove adhesive residue and repaint walls that could otherwise have remained clean.
In a recent instance, a wall near the Coimbatore Medical College signal on Avinashi Road, falling under Ward 24 of the Corporation’s East Zone, was cleared of posters that had been pasted across the structure.
Corporation workers removed the advertisements and cleaned the wall as part of efforts to restore its appearance. Instead of leaving the cleared surface bare, the wall was subsequently used to display awareness messages, particularly on the importance of segregating waste at source.
The latest clean-up effort near the Coimbatore Medical College signal also underlines the potential for public spaces to be used for civic awareness rather than commercial advertisements. The waste-segregation messages painted on the wall are intended to encourage residents to separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste before handing it over for collection.
However, the recurring poster menace remains a concern, particularly when beautification and cleanliness efforts are being carried out simultaneously across the city. Unless those responsible for pasting unauthorised advertisements are deterred and public spaces are monitored more effectively, civic authorities may continue to face the repetitive task of cleaning and restoring walls that are repeatedly defaced.
The contrast between the poster-covered wall and its subsequent transformation into an awareness space serves as another reminder of the challenge Coimbatore faces in keeping its public spaces clean while pursuing its larger beautification goals.
Social activists said the continued defacement of public spaces reflected a lack of civic responsibility and called for stricter and more consistent enforcement by the Corporation. They said merely announcing fines was unlikely to serve as an effective deterrent unless action was regularly taken against violators.
They also pointed out that offenders often go unpunished, which could encourage others to continue pasting posters on public walls. The activists urged the Corporation to consistently impose fines and initiate legal action against repeat offenders to curb the practice.