New hoarding policy to focus on beautiful skyline

LUCKNO:W The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) will replicate the Hazratganj model to improve the city’s skyline. Colossal hoardings would no longer be allowed spoil the cityscape as the district administration, in collaboration with the urban development department, is set to formulate a new hoarding policy.

As a result, the city will have a fixed size of hoardings in a specific colour pattern, so that the city looks better.

Divisional commissioner Mukesh Meshram said, “Over the years we have witnessed a spurt in illegal hoardings. It is time a new hoarding policy was formulated to curb this menace and save the cityscape from defacement.”

District administration officials said the policy would underline the guidelines for putting up the hoardings. “It would include the shape, size and type of hoardings at public places,” the divisional commissioner said.

Meshram said particular points in the city would be declared as no hoarding zones. “Busy crossings, Cantonment area, space outside railway stations, airport and bus stations would be declared as no hoarding zones,” Meshram said.

He said it would be mandatory for the advertiser to procure permission, prior to putting up hoardings in the no hoarding zones.

Municipal commissioner Indramani Tripathi said, “We have decided to have hoardings of one size all over the city. We are also trying to fix colour code for the hoardings so that they look in sync with each other. All hoardings will eventually be designed, certified and retrofitted in accordance with the norms.”

“The aim is to keep the city’s skyline aesthetically pleasing,” he said, adding “Under the smart city the emphasis is also on enhancing the city’s beauty. There are many heritage structures in Chowk, Aminabad , Charbagh, Hazratganj and Alambagh that are completely marred by unplanned hoardings. Now under the new policy the effort is to improve the aesthetic beauty of the city’s skyline.”