Chennai Corporation Replaces Wall Posters With Art Works

Around 30,000 employees of the civic body have been deployed to remove posters and bills

Taking on people who continue to deface city walls with posters despite the Greater Chennai Corporation conducting a city-wide ‘cleanup’ drive, the civic body has decided to paint artworks across the city.

According to a senior Corporation officer, "We are engaging artists to create paintings on the city walls where the practice of pasting posters is rampant. The artists will paint the walls, most of them on the major roads, with the images of the city’s popular buildings and landmarks."

For instance, abstract versions of the city’s monuments and landmarks are being painted on the wall opposite Ripon Building on EVR Periyar Salai. Adyar bridge and Tidel park will also get a facelift with art works.

Work on the 360-foot-long wall opposite Ripon Building, the headquarters of Corporation, would be completed in a week. The civic body plans to have spotlights focus on the wall at night.

The Corporation recently commenced the drive to remove posters on walls in the city. Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi has instructed officials to clear the walls that have illegal posters. Five bus route roads are being taken up per zone every day.

Bedi said, "Chennai is a beautiful seaside city with a lovely culture and heritage. We want the city to remain so. We have been aggrieved many times when there are posters stuck on public places, walls, bridges, pillars."

Around 30,000 employees of the civic body have been deployed to remove posters and bills and ensure that new ones are not put up.

So far, 77,540 posters have been removed from 13,415 locations. On Monday alone, 2,608 posters were removed from 1460 locations. The drive has been taking place on 287 bus route and interior roads of the metropolis.