Navi Mum, Panvel civic bodies pull down 36 illegal billboards

The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has pulled down five of the 33 illegal hoardings it has found in the city. It has also ordered a structural audit of the legal hoardings by structural engineers certified by it.

PANVEL: As the monsoon approaches, civic bodies of Navi Mumbai and Panvel are taking fast-track action against illegal billboards across the city to avoid a repeat of the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident.

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The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has pulled down five of the 33 illegal hoardings it has found in the city. It has also ordered a structural audit of the legal hoardings by structural engineers certified by it. Whereas the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), which started the action earlier, has removed 31 illegal hoardings from its jurisdiction.

The action by the two civic bodies is being taken following the May 13 incident when a giant 120x120 ft hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar, killing 16 people and injuring 74 others.

Panvel municipal commissioner Dr Prashant Rasal, said, “Our action plan against illegal hoardings is in place. We immediately initiated a survey in our jurisdiction to check on the illegal hoarding menace. A total of 33 illegal hoardings have been found.”

“There are a total of 87 hoardings in our jurisdiction that have the requisite permission. The owners have all been issued notices to get structural audits done by civic registered structural engineers,” Rasal. “Orders have been issued to all the ward officers and concerned officials to ensure that no new illegal hoarding comes up in the region. We are on constant watch for any violation.”

In Navi Mumbai, municipal commissioner Kailas Shinde, said, “In three days of action from May 15 to May 18, 31 hoardings have been demolished in the city. We are getting a positive response to the notices issued for the structural audit of the legal hoardings as the owners are going for it.”