Coimbatore Corporation intensifies drive against illegal hoardings

The Coimbatore Corporation has intensified its drive against unauthorised advertisement hoardings, banners and flex boards across the city, with enforcement action being taken in all five zones over the past 20 days.

There are currently 273 advertisement hoardings that have valid permissions from the Corporation’s Town Planning Department. Of these, 62 are in the North Zone, 34 in the East Zone, 28 in the West Zone, 25 in the South Zone and 124 in the Central Zone.

As part of the ongoing drive, hoardings installed without permission, those whose permits have expired and have not been renewed, and unauthorised banners, flex boards and temporary structures are being removed. The initiative is aimed at preventing accidents caused by unsafe roadside advertisements and ensuring the safety of road users, besides maintaining the city’s appearance.

The removal of unauthorised hoardings began on July 28. In the North Zone, three unauthorised hoardings have been identified and removed, while four have been removed in the East Zone.

In the West Zone, 14 hoardings were identified, of which eight had valid permissions. The remaining six unauthorised hoardings were removed and a fine of ₹1 lakh was collected.

In the South Zone, 13 unauthorised hoardings were identified. One was removed, while notices were issued to the owners of the remaining 12. A fine of ₹25,000 was collected from the violators.

In the Central Zone, 20 unauthorised hoardings were identified and seven have so far been removed.

The Corporation has also introduced digital monitoring of all 273 authorised hoardings through its CCMC Hoardings Tracker. Details of each permitted hoarding, including its location, validity period and a dedicated QR code, are being integrated into the Corporation’s online dashboard. The system also provides a map view of the hoarding locations and the period for which the permission is valid.

The Corporation has instructed advertisers and hoarding agencies to prominently display the permission number and the dedicated QR code on every authorised hoarding after obtaining approval from the Town Planning Department.

Under Section 117(U) of the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, those who install advertisements without the required permission can face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to ₹25,000, or both, the Corporation said.