Patna Municipal Corporation Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Posters and Banners
Patna continues to face significant challenges with the unauthorised installation of posters and banners across public spaces, a practice that not only mars architectural features but also disrupts ongoing beautification efforts. In response, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has escalated its daily removal operations across all six administrative circles, employing advanced water jetting sprays to clear walls and public structures effectively.
Enhanced Removal Operations and Equipment Deployment
To safeguard the city's urban landscape, PMC has strategically deployed approximately 17 water jetting machines across its six circles. The allocation is as follows:
- New Capital circle: 3 machines
- Azimabaad and Bankipur: 2 machines each
- Patliputra: 3 machines
- Patna City: 2 machines
- Kankarbagh: 5 machines
- Bairiya: 1 additional machine (though not under a designated PMC circle)
Each machine operates with a dedicated two-member team comprising a driver and an operator, who utilise high-pressure sprays to remove illegal advertisements and restore affected surfaces to their original condition.
Broader Crackdown and Scientific Mapping
The civic body has announced a comprehensive crackdown targeting large-scale illegal hoardings. By employing scientific mapping techniques to identify unauthorised structures, PMC has successfully removed 15 unipoles along with numerous banners in key locations, including Digha, Pahari, Anisabad, Chitkohra, and the Bypass area.
Municipal commissioner Yashpal Meena emphasised the seriousness of the issue, stating, "Disfiguring the city's appearance and ignoring regulations will not be tolerated under any circumstances." He further warned that repeat offenders would face stringent action under the Public Demands Recovery (PDR) Act in addition to the filing of FIRs.
Challenges and Enforcement Measures
PMC spokesperson Priya Saurabh highlighted the challenges in enforcement, noting that individuals responsible for sticking posters often do so late at night or in the early morning hours, making detection difficult. "The people who are sticking such posters are doing so extremely late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, which is why most of them are not caught; however, the ones that are caught are warned off because they put up a fight when asked to pay a fine," she explained. To date, across all municipal corporation circles, approximately 1,500 individuals have been warned against installing such banners and posters on walls.
Additional municipal commissioner Rajan Sinha elaborated on the necessity of specialised equipment, stating, "Jetting machines are used proactively by our teams as the glue people used to put up such banners is harsh, and until high-speed jets are used, it does not clear the walls." This approach ensures thorough removal without damaging the underlying surfaces.
Night Operations to Minimise Disruption
In an effort to reduce disruption in busy commercial areas, PMC has extended its operations into the night. These nocturnal drives focus on dismantling large unipoles and hoardings in congested zones, enabling swift clearance while minimising interference with daytime traffic and daily activities.
Financial penalties have also been introduced as a deterrent against unauthorised installations, targeting both individuals and organisations responsible for such practices. This multi-faceted strategy underscores PMC's commitment to preserving Patna's aesthetic integrity and enforcing civic regulations rigorously.
