Pitch increases against illegal political banners in Malabar Hill

Several Malabar Hill residents say that illegal hoardings are a hazard, as when they’re stuck on lamp posts, they partially jut out on footpaths and roads, coming especially in the way of walkers. When they fall, and they do often, they are obstructions on the road

Mumbai: With Varsha bungalow, the official residence of the Maharashtra chief minister and Sahyadri Guest House a stone’s throw away, complaints regarding illegal political hoardings and banners have reached its crescendo as Malabar Hill residents opposing the issue like never before.

Mumbai, India. Mar 06,2024 : Political posters put up at Malabar Hill area. Malabar Hill residents complain to BMC against illegal posters. Mar 06,2024.(Photo by RAju Shinde/HT Photo)

The residents’ complaints coincided with the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) against unauthorised political hoardings in the Bombay High Court, filed by multiple parties. One of the petitioners is Dr Aniruddha Malpani. While the hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, it was postponed for a later day. “My PIL was regarding the BMC’s lack of accountability over these hoardings, which restricts action against those responsible. What I’ve suggested is using the same framework that penalises illegally parked vehicles, for illegal hoardings, and the respective political parties be held responsible and fined,” said Malpani.

Several Malabar Hill residents say that illegal hoardings are a hazard, as when they’re stuck on lamp posts, they partially jut out on footpaths and roads, coming especially in the way of walkers. When they fall, and they do often, they are obstructions on the road.

Another concerned resident Khorshed Bharucha lamented, “The issue has increased acutely since the new government came to power in the state. Today, due to home minister Amit Shah’s visit, there are hoardings and posters with his face at every 10 metres. Before this, it was another batch of hoardings, and so on and so forth. The new hoardings just join the old ones.”

Residents also worry that illegal hoardings not only make the area look aesthetically poor but it blocks the view. Resident, Gita Bhatia, echoed this. “The hoardings are all the way from Babulnath Temple to Walkeshwar Road to Hanging Gardens to Napeansea Road and Mount Pleasant Road. Almost every housing society’s gate has a hoarding or poster. They block the view and wind from circulating, making it even more suffocating.”

“The hoardings have gotten especially obnoxious, with four identical hoardings being put up side by side,” said another resident, who did not want to be named. “Our area used to be one of the pleasant areas to live in,” said Bharucha. “But now it’s entirely degraded.”

She continued, “What I want to know is who pays for the hoardings and banners, and what happens to the plastic waste that is generated from them, as it’s an environmental hazard.

Bhatia added that lights are even put up on trees and lamp posts, and left on 24 by 7, disturbing the residents even at night as they’re trying to sleep. The residents are also instructed to walk only on footpaths, leaving them in a fix when footpaths are not proper. The haphazard parking allowed also creates a mess.

The residents have tried multiple avenues of officially complaining. On February 9, a delegation of four, which included Bharucha, went to BMC’s D ward with an appointment with the assistant commissioner, Sharad Ughade. “The assistant commissioner was not there as he’d gone to Mantralaya, and had not informed us either,” said another resident who was present for the meeting.

“We went to meet an official from the licence department, who essentially told us he couldn’t do anything about it,” he continued. “On February 25 then, we went to the Malabar Hill police station. They said removing political hoardings was the responsibility of the BMC, and they couldn’t do anything either. The compromise we reached was that if we came across a hoarding being put up and informed the police in time, they would come and stop it from being put up. But such an opportunity has not come up yet.”

Bhatia has also complained in the past on the 1916 helpline of the BMC, to no avail. “Now our only recourse is the legal system,” she said.

An official from the licence department of the D ward, which consists of Tardeo, Malabar Hills, and Nagpada, said the ward takes routine action against the hoardings and takes them down daily.