Chennai: Corporation artfully reclaims defaced city walls

CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Corporation has reclaimed various city walls that are notorious for defacements with artful wall writings and posters.
Some of the walls which are prone to defacement due to political posters such as ones in Basin Bridge, those beneath the Mint flyover in north Chennai, RBI subway and opposite MGR Janaki college have been given a facelift with wall art.While some are adorned with paintings of heritage structures, others have modern designs of urban landscape. Apart from this, the corporation has taken up painting of metro rail pillars from Koyambedu to the airport as well.
In the wall art opposite MGR Janaki college, the corporation has kept QR codes for people to scan and know about more such art designs across the world.
City corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said a team of nearly 500 artists have been roped in to beautify the city. “The aim of the initiative is to ensure that public walls along roadsides are not defaced by posters. The city should look beautiful and colourful, especially at the entry to the city near railway stations as well as the airport,” he said.
Bedi said apart from the primary infrastructure development such as roads, parks and play fields, secondary development such as beautification is being taken up simultaneously. “Most of the wall paintings have been taken up through ‘Namakku Naame Thittam’ funds,” he said.
Residents said it is also important to maintain these walls to prevent posters from reappearing. “They did a citywide drive to paint walls earlier too, but many were not maintained. Corporation should ensure that these walls are not defaced and the miscreants fined,” said Anna Nagar resident V Sandhya.