Mysuru: Across Mysuru city, over 500 unauthorised advertising hoardings have cropped up, with the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) officials seemingly turning a blind eye. The MCC has accorded permission to only 210 hoardings. The MCC’s promise to transform the city into a flex-free zone appears hollow as large advertising hoardings made of flex continue to be installed on prominent roads, junctions and circles without official permission. This has sparked public outrage, raising questions about their commitment to keeping the city clean.

Over 25 hoardings line the stretch from Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle (Metropole Circle) to Hinkal Ring Road Junction on Hunsur Road. Similarly, the section of KRS Road from Royal Inn Junction to Dasappa Circle hosts 10 hoardings.

On JLB Road, from Dasappa Circle to Nanjangud Road (near JSS College), as many as 30 hoardings are installed. Additional hoardings dominate prominent roads such as Sayyaji Rao Road, Bengaluru-Nilgiri Road, Chamaraja Double Road, and M.G. Road, bringing the city’s total to over 750 hoardings of various sizes.

Notably, some hoardings display official information, such as directions on one side, while the other side is used for private advertisements. While the MCC has approved only 210 advertisement boards for 2024-25, over 500 unauthorised hoardings have been installed, tarnishing the city’s aesthetics.

Shockingly, MCC officials have taken no action against the advertising agencies responsible, raising serious doubts about their intentions. The very officials, tasked with preserving Mysuru’s beauty and cleanliness, have not curbed the installation of unauthorised hoardings.

This silence has fuelled public suspicion, with many questioning whether these officials are indirectly supporting the illegal proliferation of flex boards.

Hunsur Road

From Metropole Circle to Hinkal Ring Road Junction, 25 hoardings dominate the skyline. Key locations include one hoarding near the Old DC Office welcome arch, one near the Kalamandira signal junction, two near the gate of Jaladarshini Guest House, and three at the Paduvarahalli junction.

Additional hoardings are spotted near St. Philomena’s Circle (3), the Rani Bahadur Auditorium (1), Basappa Memorial Hospital (1), Grandpa’s Kitchen (1), Aishwarya Petrol Bunk Junction (3), Kia Showroom (1), Ruchi The Prince (1), Suzuki Showroom opposite Rudset Institute in Hinkal (1), and two at the Flyover Signal Junction.

KRS Road

On KRS Road, between Royal Inn Junction and Dasappa Circle near Mandovi Motors, 10 large L-shaped iron advertisement hoardings have been installed.

Key spots include one hoarding near Hebbal Layout welcome arch, one near Kumbarakoppal Gate, one near Gokulam Green Park, one in front of Vontikoppal Sri Lakshmivenkataramanaswamy Temple, two near Vontikoppal signal lights, one near the Railway Hospital, one near Akashvani Circle, one near the Vivekananda Statue at Cheluvamba Park, and one near Mandovi Motors — totalling 10.

Beyond these, hoardings have been indiscriminately installed along JLB Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Bengaluru-Nilgiri Road, Lalit Mahal Road, M.G. Road and Chamaraja Double Road. Sizes range from 60×5 feet to 45×25 feet, with some reaching massive proportions such as 85×8 feet, further affecting Mysuru’s aesthetic charm.

If MCC officials fail to act promptly to remove these unauthorised structures, this issue threatens to escalate into a major civic problem, tarnishing Mysuru’s reputation as a city of heritage and beauty.

Spoiling Mysuru city’s aesthetics

Hoardings have been sprouting like mushrooms in a city celebrated for its cleanliness, cultural heritage and serene appeal to retirees. Despite its earlier promise to make the city flex-free, the MCC permitted advertisement hoardings. Worse, unauthorised hoardings have proliferated across junctions, roads and circles, tarnishing the city’s aesthetic charm.

While the MCC claims to strive for a clean Mysuru, its actions tell a different story. By granting permissions to agencies, it has encouraged the rampant installation of flex hoardings. The MCC must remove unauthorised hoardings installed beyond their permitted durations.

—C. Narayanagowda, President, Mysuru Hotel Owners’ Association