BMC removes 20,000 illegal hoardings in special drive

BMC removed 20,000 illegal banners in Mumbai, including 7,500 political and 8,200 religious. Measures for future compliance include inspections and public reporting.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed the Bombay High Court on Monday that it had removed approximately 20,000 illegal banners, advertising boards, and posters during a special drive conducted last month.

BMC removes 20,000 illegal hoardings in special drive

In an affidavit filed before the court, the civic body disclosed that 7,500 of the illegal hoardings were political, while nearly 8,200 were religious in nature. The BMC stated that all 24 municipal wards in Mumbai have been directed to take strict action against unauthorised displays in public spaces.

The affidavit also highlighted measures to prevent recurrence, including inspections of printing presses in each ward. Printing press operators have been instructed not to produce political hoardings without prior approval. Additionally, advertisers have been asked to incorporate QR codes on authorised hoardings for better tracking and enforcement.

To enhance public participation, the BMC has appointed a complaint officer to handle grievances related to illegal hoardings. Citizens can lodge complaints through the Aaple Sarkar portal or the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).

The drive follows a Bombay High Court directive last month, which ordered all municipal corporations, councils, and gram panchayats to conduct a seven to ten-day campaign to clear illegal hoardings from public streets, parks, and other spaces.

A division bench of chief justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and justice Amit Borkar revived a 2011 petition citing the lack of compliance by civic authorities with earlier court orders to remove illegal hoardings.

During the BMC’s special drive, 24 senior inspectors, 80 inspectors from the licence and hoardings department, and 183 labourers, using 50 vehicles, were deployed to execute the action, according to the affidavit.