Eight illegal billboards at Tilak Bridge in Dadar East: BMC

All eight belong to Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the same agency that owned the illegal hoarding that collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has identified eight billboards along Tilak Bridge in Dadar East that don’t have requisite permits. All eight belong to Ego Media Pvt Ltd, the same agency that owned the illegal hoarding that collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar on May 13, killing 16 people and injuring 74 others.

The BMC issued a notice to Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR), directing them to remove all oversized hoardings within three days. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

On Friday, the BMC issued a notice to Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR), directing them to remove all oversized hoardings within three days. These hoardings are located on Government Railway Police land 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. The BMC warned that if the hoardings were not removed, the civic body would take them down itself and the cost would be recovered from the railway authorities.

However, a railway official argued that there is no need to remove the hoardings because they undergo several rounds of checks before approval is granted. “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.”

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, additional municipal commissioner (city) at BMC.

The committee will ensure that the integration of these technologies does not compromise public safety or environmental integrity. “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,” deputy municipal commissioner (special) Kiran Dighavkar was quoted as saying in a newly released BMC circular.

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 director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), to provide guidance and expertise in environmental matters.

The committee includes joint commissioner of police (traffic) Anil Kumbhare, deputy municipal commissioner (special) Kiran Dighavkar, BMC’s superintendent of licence Anil Kate, environmental expert Rakesh Kumar, IIT-B professors Avjit Maji and Nagendra Rao Velaga, and Professor GV Sreekumar from the Industrial Design Centre.