CHENNAI: With elections for the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry approaching, unauthorised banners and posters by candidates, many of them conveying Pongal greetings, have cropped up around the Madras High Court campus, including NSC Bose Road opposite the Aavin Gate, and Bar Council buildings.
The oversized banners, most of them poorly supported by wooden logs and sticks, are tied to lamp posts, trees, shop signboards, and even secured by making holes in pavements without permission, and pose a risk for pedestrians.
When asked, a Greater Chennai Corporation official said the civic body has not granted permission to erect the boards or stick posters outside the High Court premises.
“As those involved are advocates, local officials hesitate to take immediate action,” admitted the official, adding that they would be removed within a couple of days.
“Pedestrians are forced to walk on the road because the pavements are blocked. They have to reach the extreme edge to find a way up,” an advocate practising at the High Court said on condition of anonymity.
Reports said two senior citizens sustained injuries on January 7 due to these obstructions.
The shops and other business establishments are also affected, as their signboards are covered by the banners and flexes, and their properties are also used without consent.
Parked vehicles along the pavement are also at risk of damage from if the hoardings collapse.
This situation persists despite a stern directive issued by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court in August 2025, instructing the State government to remove all illegal hoardings, arches, and flex boards from public roads and footpaths.
The court had clarified that police, revenue, and local body officials had the legal obligation to clear such structures immediately, warning that failure to do so would constitute dereliction of duty and negligence.
Pedestrians, advocates, court staff, and local residents are now urging civic authorities to take immediate action to clear the walkways and ensure public safety.