Gurugram:The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Saturday began removing illegal advertisements put up on the Dwarka Expressway as part of a crackdown on all such unauthorised structures, officials said adding, that the drive will be carried out across the city.
Since January 1, the MCG has recovered ₹1.4 crore from defaulters and 69 recovery notices have been served amounting to a total of ₹3 crore, they said.
According to MCG officials, wall wraps around 20 buildings along the highway and 69 unipoles displaying advertisements illegally were removed from the stretch.
The MCG has prepared a list of all such illegal structures across the city and a majority of them are on the Dwarka Expressway, Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road, Southern Peripheral Road and the National Highway-48.
The MCG mandates that any form of advertisement within its jurisdiction must have prior approval after the necessary fees have been paid. To enforce this rule, the MCG has started a widespread campaign against illegal advertisements on major roads.
MCG Commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar said that on Saturday, MCG teams began the drive on Dwarka Expressway, removing hoardings, banners, and other unauthorised advertisements. “Our teams took decisive action on the Dwarka Expressway. Our teams, led by Prem Singh, assistant engineer and junior engineer Sachin Kumar, conducted an extensive operation to remove numerous illegal banners. Superintendent Engineer Vikas Malik provided guidance throughout the operation,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}MCG Commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar said that on Saturday, MCG teams began the drive on Dwarka Expressway, removing hoardings, banners, and other unauthorised advertisements. “Our teams took decisive action on the Dwarka Expressway. Our teams, led by Prem Singh, assistant engineer and junior engineer Sachin Kumar, conducted an extensive operation to remove numerous illegal banners. Superintendent Engineer Vikas Malik provided guidance throughout the operation,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}According to the Haryana Municipal Advertisement Bylaws-2022, advertisements must be approved through an online portal, with the necessary fees paid. Unauthorized advertisements will not only be removed but the responsible parties will face heavy penalties and legal action, the law states.
Bangar said advertisements of various firms were displayed on these illegally installed unipoles by several agencies. The team uprooted 10 unipoles with the help of hydra machinery and dismantled them so that they could not be used again. “We are taking action against advertisement agencies that are displaying ads on unipoles illegally despite repeated reminders to get their registrations done. We are not just removing the unipoles but also blacklisting the establishments,” he said.
The MCG commissioner said that they are identifying the spots where such advertisements are creating an obstruction and are distracting drivers on key stretches like NH-48 or the state highway. “There are other strategic locations in the city too where these advertisements can be profitably placed without compromising road safety,” he said.
Bangar said that more than 600 advertisements have been illegally displayed on unipoles, billboards, and electrical poles throughout the city. “These advertisements, from big brands and developers lacked the necessary departmental permissions. Our crackdown, which has so far targeted areas like the Dwarka Expressway, Vatika Chowk, Sohna Road, and Golf Course Road, will continue for three weeks,” he said.
MCG officials pointed out that the registration process is easy and hassle free. “There are over 56 authorized sites within MCG’s jurisdiction. From January to May 31, we registered 30 agencies for 45 advertisement sites on our portal. We still have 11 authorised sites available, for which we have received over 200 applications. After a thorough review, we will finalise the agencies that have never been involved in illegal advertising.”