Eight billboards without BMC permission in Dadar belong to Bhavesh Bhinde's firm

The BMC issued a notice to Central Railways and Western Railways, directing them to remove all oversized hoardings within three days

Eight billboards at Tilak Bridge in Dadar East have been identified as lacking Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) permits. These billboards belong to Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the same agency responsible for the tragic incident in Ghatkopar's Pant Nagar on Monday, where a billboard crash resulted in 16 casualties and injured more than 74 people.

The hoarding that crashed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar on Monday, killing 16 people, was thrice the permitted size. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

On Friday, the BMC issued a notice to Central Railways (CR) and Western Railways (WR), directing them to remove all oversized hoardings within three days. These hoardings are located in government railway police premises adjoining BMC roads, private land, and structures. The removal is aimed at avoiding potential disasters and ensuring public safety. The notice, invoking the Disaster Management Act (2005), listed the locations of the eight billboards at Tilak Bridge in Dadar East that need to be removed. Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Ashwini Joshi stated in the notice, "Failing which, the same shall be removed by BMC at your risk, and the cost for removal shall be recovered from you."

However, a railway official argued that there is no need to remove the hoardings, stating, "Before these get approved, they undergo several rounds of checks. Their designs and drawings are also vetted by top engineering institutes like the IITs and VJTI. We are a central body, and we follow our own set of rules and regulations."

As the city prepares to host digital hoardings, the BMC is also set to modernise its Out of Home (outdoor) advertisement policy. The aim is to align with the latest advancements in digital advertising by formulating a new policy with inputs from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Bombay and former NEERI experts.

Recognising the complexities associated with advanced advertising technologies, the BMC has proposed the establishment of a multi-disciplinary committee under the chairmanship of Ashwini Joshi. The committee will ensure that the integration of these technologies does not compromise public safety or environmental integrity. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special) Kiran Dighavkar stated in the newly released BMC circular, "The emergence of digital hoardings with high-resolution animations introduces a new set of challenges. It requires a comprehensive assessment of the associated risks, including driver distraction on expressways, health implications for residents, and environmental impacts like light pollution."

The department has reached out to the IIT-Bombay director, requesting the nomination of two individuals to aid in policy formation. The director confirmed the availability of two experts from the relevant field to offer valuable input. Additionally, the department has contacted Rakesh Kumar, former NEERI director, to guide and provide expertise in environmental matters.

The stakeholders included in the committee are Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Kumbhare, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Special) Kiran Dighavkar, Superintendent of Licence (BMC) Anil Kate (Member Secretary), Rakesh Kumar (expert from a reputable environmental institute), Professors Avjit Maji and Nagendra Rao Velaga (two members appointed by IIT Bombay with relevant experience), and Professor GV Sreekumar from the Industrial Design Centre.