Precariously hanging banners and hoardings during any political event or family function of political party functionaries are a common sight on city roads.
Despite court directions to ban them, as they endanger motorists and pedestrians, the Chennai Corporation and the police have turned a blind eye to the menace.
Subasri was returning home on her two-wheeler via the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road in Pallikaranai.
On Thursday, 22-year-old R. Subasri was run over by a lorry, when a hoarding, on the middle of the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road, reportedly erected by an AIADMK functionary, collapsed on her. If the laws of the land and court judgments had all been followed, Subasri would be alive now.
Fresh in memory
In April, S. Kala, 55, a doctor, and S. Mohanraj, an ambulance driver, were killed, and five others suffered injuries, when a hoarding put up near a private hospital in Namakkal fell on them.
A hoarding, installed on the median, fell on her even as she tried to avoid it. In the process, she lost control and fell.
The November 2017 incident in Coimbatore, in which Raghupathy, who had returned from the U.S. and hit a pole protruding from a hoarding on Avinashi Road and died, remains fresh in the minds of anti-hoarding crusaders.
Apart from this, many motorists have been injured.
On the Tambaram-Velachery Road, a motorist was injured a few months ago after a political party’s banner collapsed on him. These accidents continue to occur, despite a 2006 ban on illegal hoardings by the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court upholding the same in 2008.
Various judges have time and again expressed their anguish over the menace of unauthorised banners and flex boards continuing unabated, despite several orders passed by the court.
Subasri was crushed to death by a water tanker, which was following her two-wheeler.
‘Hardly implemented’
“It is surprising that the rules and regulations on the display of publicity materials are hardly implemented. In fact, during the M.G.R. Centenary celebrations, Anna Salai was dotted with banners and pedestrians did not have space to walk,” said a retired judge.
Jayaram Venkatesan, convener, Arappor Iyakkam, said though the Madras High Court had often come down heavily on the erection of banners, it had been lenient in using the contempt of court provision against the defaulters.
“They should penalise them for erecting the hoardings despite the ban. Only then will this stop. Political leaders should also take action against cadre who install such materials,” he said.
Social activist ‘Traffic’ K.R. Ramaswamy, who has been fighting against the menace for a long time now, said he would be filing a complaint against the civic body and the police at the Pallikaranai police station.
Stern action
Mr. Ramaswamy alleged that policemen and Corporation officials took bribe and allowed the installation of such hoardings.
“I want murder charges to be slapped against officials who allowed this. They turn a blind eye to such banners, and by that, I mean banners erected by the ruling party cadre. Corporation officials should evoke Section 326-I of the City Municipal Act, which mentions three years jail term to offenders, but they never do it,” Mr. Ramaswamy added.
A senior police officer said political pressure prevented them from taking action against those erecting banners.
“Action under the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act of 1959 does not serve as a deterrent,” added a police officer.
