Despite regular cleaning drives and the imposition of fines, the ancient city of Madurai continues to grapple with a persistent visual blight: illegal posters plastered across public property. From flyover pillars and electric poles to school and college compound walls, advertisements for political events, films, and personal functions are routinely pasted, often in layers, defacing the urban landscape.
A City Drowned in Paper
The problem is ubiquitous. Key areas like West Veli Street, West Marret Street, and the pillars of the Kalavasal and Natham flyovers remain heavily covered. Even spaces around the corporation office and collectorate display outdated ads for films released over a month ago or political events long concluded. Shockingly, the partially constructed Goripalayam flyover is also not spared, with posters posing safety risks to both those putting them up and workers tasked with removal.
"Every time there is a new blockbuster movie or a major political event, the city is covered with poster on top of poster. People driving by don't even read them. It is just an eyesore," said Rithvik, a student of Madurai Medical College, highlighting that even educational institutions are treated as free advertising space.
Corporation's Uphill Battle and Creative Deterrents
Madurai Corporation officials confirm that removal drives have been a regular feature since September. They have collected nearly ₹19,000 in fines since October and issued notices to repeat offenders. "Every Friday we remove posters, but fresh ones come up overnight," admitted a senior official, underscoring the challenge.
To deter the practice, the civic body has initiated wall beautification projects, painting murals that depict Tamil culture and Madurai's heritage at locations like the Periyar Bus Stand and Velunachiyar Flyover. "We completed a similar drive in Mattuthavani, and it significantly reduced the problem there," the official said, adding that plans are underway to expand the effort city-wide. However, this solution is also being undermined, as new posters continue to appear beside and even over these freshly painted artworks.
Call for Stronger Measures and Community Action
Balamurugan Palani, president of the Madurai Infra and Development Association (MIDA), pointed out that posters are found even on newly built infrastructure like the Velunachiyar flyover. "Most of these appear to be individual or personal event posters, which have no justification to be displayed so widely," he stated. MIDA conducts its own periodic poster removal drives across Madurai.
Palani suggested more permanent alternatives, like installing vertical gardens on walls. "With no flat surface available, people will find it difficult to stick posters," he explained. He emphasized the need for stronger coordination between civic authorities and resident associations to evolve a lasting solution to this ongoing menace.
The act of pasting posters on public property is an offence under the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Destruction and Loss) Act, 1982. Yet, as the layered posters on Madurai's walls testify, enforcement remains a significant hurdle in preserving the city's aesthetic and civic dignity.
