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Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Made It Mandatory That Hoardings Must Show Unit Code

By Shashank, Section News
Posted on Mon Jul 21, 2008 at 04:41:23 AM EST

In a bid to rein in illegal hoardings and to reduce the city's visual pollution levels, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has made it mandatory that the unit code number of all hoardings be displayed. The move is also expected to curb illegal bus stands sprouting up in various parts of the city.

Moreover, the rule applies not only to hoardings built on the bus shelters, but also to those located on the streets and on the rooftop of buildings.

According to the order issued by the civic body, advertising agencies will henceforth display the unit code number of the hoarding, the name of the advertising agency, the approved size of the hoarding and the contact number of the concerned agency.

The unit code number of a hoarding is its identification mark and distinguishes it from unauthorised or illegal ones. A letter in this regard has already been forwarded by the advertising department of the KMC to several advertising agencies of the city.

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The letter states that the unit code number of hoarding and billboards, allotted by the civic body to a private or street hoarding, be displayed "at the eye level or the legs or support of each and individual hoarding."
The guidelines further mentions that in case hoardings are erected on rooftops of a building, "a board displaying the necessary format has to be fixed near or at the entrance of the building."
"The display of the unit code has to be done by 31 July of this year failing which all such street or private hoardings will be deemed unauthorised and be liable for demolition by the KMC," an official said.

Officials further added that the laws would also apply to the bus shelters, which are often used as a medium of display by the advertising agencies. Other than the monetary loss to the civic body, these shelters are often used as a hang out spot for drug addicts.

It may be recalled that the civic body has already laid down a slew of measures aimed at tackling advertising agencies. These include disallowing the setting up of new hoarding on the city's streets or in front of heritage buildings, waterbodies and parks of the city.
Recently, the civic body had carried out a drive against an advertising agency for its failure to remove a hoarding from in front of Park Mansions, a heritage building on Park Street.

Source: Abhishek Law From The Statesman 21/July/08

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