Illegal hoardings across city

Chennai : The Greater Chennai Corporation is yet to implement hoarding licensing and monitoring regulations, allowing illegal advertisements to proliferate throughout the city. Private advertising firms and building owners are making exorbitant profits from these illegal hoardings while failing to pay rent to the GCC. Because tall structures have caused accidents in the past, this situation poses a serious threat to the safety of pedestrians and motorists. According to Chandru, a professor from Nungambakkam, “These tall structures are a nightmare for both motorists and pedestrians without monitoring or safety checks in place.” Officials believe that regularising hoardings could be a significant source of revenue for the Corporation, with market prices indicating that they can charge about ₹3,000 per sq m for a half-yearly license. However, former Director of Municipal Administration Department DS Sivasamy has highlighted the need for stringent safety and engineering checks before issuing licenses. City-based advocate N Vishwanathan has also suggested that the GCC needs to have zone wise wings to ensure that High Court orders regarding the hoardings are enforced effectively.