Ban on graffiti, posters in Nilgiris

OOTY: In the next phase of the cleanliness drive in the Nilgiris, the district administration has banned graffiti and posters along the state and national highways across the Nilgiris.

Stating that the ban is now in effect, Ms.J.Innocent Divya, collector of Nilgiris, said that it was being imposed as per the directions of the Madras High Court.

'As graffiti, flex boards, hoardings and posters along the roads are found to be causing a severe disturbance to traffic on the winding roads in the Nilgiris, and often lead to accidents, the High court has given a direction to ban writing on the walls and putting up flex boards and pasting posters along the roadsides in the Nilgiris," she explained. She added that the ban will be in place along the state and national highways and other roads in all panchayats, town panchayats and municipalities in the Nilgiris district.

Political parties as well as private organisations are instructed to follow this order strictly. Anybody found to be defying this ban will be fined to the tune of Rs.10,000 and criminal proceedings will also be initiated, Ms.Divya warned.

Welcoming the ban, Mr.G. Janardhanan, president of the Ooty Town Public Awareness Association, wanted the district administration to form a special task force of the highway police patrol team to book culprits who generally take to writing on walls and defacing it during the night.