Bengaluru: Pin ads on trees and pay the price!

Bengaluru: Garden City, Bengaluru, is not only losing its trees to its so-called development, but also the advertisement mafia that nails boards and pamphlets to them to advertise various products.  The BBMP, which has warned the advertisers against targeting trees, has begun slapping fines on those who refuse to fall in line.

On Thursday, the civic agency fined  advertisers, who had used trees in Malleshwaram and requested people to download the Sahaaya app and lodge complaints against others guilty of the offence.

The locals in HSR Layout first began the campaign against the nailing of advertisements to trees and  the protest soon spread to other parts of the city.

Mr Maria Pradeep, a city techie, deplores that advertisers are resorting to using trees for their ads following the ban on outdoor advertisements. “Not only are trees burdened with optical fibre cables,which are strung over them, but  also have illegal advertisements  nailed on them, which affects their growth,” he laments.

While some residents have welcomed the BBMP’s move to curb the practice, they are not sure how serious it is about banning the use of trees for advertisements.

"There would have been no need for a campaign if the BBMP had stopped the advertisement mafia from nailing its bills and stickers on the trees. It allows this illegal activity and then comes up with a drive against it, “ regrets Mr Chethan Kumar, a resident of Basavanagudi.