illegal hoardings

Activists skeptic about Waste-to-Energy plants The waste processing area in Chikkanagamangala will soon get a waste-to-energy plant. The MoU for this was signed early this year. Solid Waste Management Activists from the city have upped their ante against the proposal. They say lower calorific value of the waste will make the plant unviable and would lead to its failure. They fear that the push being given to segregation at source would be derailed. However, BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad says it can be adopted to Indian conditions, and segregation of waste at source will not be stopped. Meanwhile in a written…

Hoarding displayed on one of the major roads of Bengaluru. Pic: Akshath G V In the first part, we explored why BBMP is not making any money from illegal hoardings. Next part of the series tried to explore why the unauthorised hoardings are not removed. This part will examine the efforts being made to set the system right. A few attempts were made in the past to modify the existing policies related to advertisement. Strangely, every attempt so far has gone futile and reformation moves just did not take off. While implementation of the existing policy is a different aspect,…

In the first part of the series, we explained why the BBMP is not making any money from advertising. This part will explain the nexus between officials and enforcement contractors, how contractors make money in advertisement removal and the flawed enforcement contract system. Illegal advertisement and hoarding removal is a web where the nexus between advertisers, officials and enforcement contractors raises its ugly head. What’s the role of enforcement contractors in advertisement? Enforcement contractors are entrusted with the responsibility of removing illegal hoardings. A contractor with integrity, which is a rare breed to find in an area where the monthly…

A huge illegal hoarding near Ejipura Signal. Pic: Shree D N This huge IPL hoarding looms above the building next to Ejipura Signal. It’s not one hoarding - they are in plenty. There are no visible license tags or numbers on the hoarding. One such hoarding in a premium location like this costs about Rs 2 lakhs per month to advertise. As we capture it on our mobile, a person sitting in the shop below stands up, alarmed. He asks, “why are you taking the photo?” He sits back satisfied upon hearing from us that the IPL imagery on the…

Here’s one of the reasons why Bengaluru's administrator BBMP has a severe fund-crunch. Every year BBMP budget expects crores of rupees to be collected as advertising revenue. But, the actual amount collected by the BMBP is way below expectations. Budget estimates for 2012-13 predicted that the advertising department could bring in Rs. 45 crore, but the actual revenue collected from registered hoardings was only Rs.22 crore - thereby causing a deficit of 23 crores. BBMP advertising department manager Lakshmi M has the reason: “Many advertisers who fail to pay their taxes or renew their license are considered as illegal advertisers.…