A bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta directed expeditious implementation of the new policy framed by the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) which has put a ban on advertisements which distracted road commuters by promoting "nudity, racism, drugs, cruelty to animals or any kind of violence".
It also noted the submissions of the amicus curiae, who assisted the court, that the hoardings on railway bridges, flyovers and foot-over-bridges should be handled with utmost care and all efforts must be made to avoid visual clutter and ensure safety of the people as well as aesthetics.
The court accepted the EPCA's report which said that the city must have an approved policy for outdoor advertisements as lack of such a policy or the lack of clarity led to huge irregularities and loss of revenue for the municipal agencies and caused problems of safety in the city.
Under the 2017 policy, advertisements will not be allowed in the national parks, historical monuments, world heritage areas and religious places.
"The sign boards should be non-reflective such that they do not flash or glare at drivers on the streets. They should not use reflective surfaces as mirror foils as the use of such material is visually disruptive to traffic and can be hazardous to drivers," it said.
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