Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted a special drive between September 7 and 12, immediately after the Ganeshotsav festivities, amid growing menace of illegal posters in the city. Civic officials removed a staggering 11,563 illegal posters, banners and boards across the city.
Data revealed that 1,631 banners, 622 boards and 13 posters were political in nature. Surprisingly, only 28 complaints were filed with the police, according to a Times of India report.
This crackdown follows earlier action between April and July, when the BMC’s licence department had cleared 20,345 illegal posters and banners, nearly half of them political. “This time the action was larger in scale. We targeted both illegal and legal banners, those permitted for Ganeshotsav but not removed after the festivities. In one case, our staff faced opposition and had to seek police help,” said Anil Kate, Superintendent of Licences, as quoted by TOI.
The poster menace also comes against the backdrop of the state cabinet accepting the Justice Dilip Bhosale Committee report into last year’s Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, which claimed 17 lives and injured 74. The committee had been constituted to probe responsibility for the tragedy and recommend corrective measures.
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Recommendations & Action Taken
The Justice Bhosale panel recommended action against senior state and railway officials responsible for allowing the illegal hoarding. The Action Taken Report (ATR) submitted by the home department confirmed that departmental inquiries (DE) were underway against former Government Railway Police (GRP) commissioners Quaisar Khalid and Dr Ravindra Shisve. Khalid has already been placed under suspension, sources confirmed.
The committee also made 21 recommendations, including the need for a nodal mechanism to monitor unauthorised hoardings, clear authority for municipal bodies to act, and strict guidelines to prevent unsafe installations. Among the key suggestions: hoardings must not be placed on terraces or compound walls, and new regulations will cap hoarding size at 40x40 feet, with height restrictions between 11 and 60 feet.
Future Guidelines
The ATR stated that civic authorities across Maharashtra have been directed to remove all illegal hoardings immediately and to set up independent licensing agencies. Municipal commissioners will act as the final authority for permissions. The guidelines also stress on pedestrian safety, traffic visibility, environmental concerns and accessibility for the disabled while approving any hoarding site.
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