E-Paper
Over two months later, PMRDA to depute squad for hoardings’ survey
The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has announced the formation of a 12-member squad to survey and take action against unauthorized hoardings in its jurisdiction. This comes after several accidents involving unstable hoardings resulted in fatalities. Over 1,000 hoardings remain unattended despite the announcement of a hoarding-related policy two months ago.
While the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) had, in June this year, announced the formation of a policy to curb unauthorised hoardings in its jurisdiction after at least five people lost their lives in accidents involving unstable hoardings, the authority has only now decided to depute a 12-member squad for the survey of hoardings in its jurisdiction.
More than two months after the PMRDA announced the formation of a hoarding-related policy, over 1,000 unauthorised hoardings continue to lie unattended in its jurisdiction.
Sunil Marale, joint director, Urban Development Department, PMRDA, said, “We have proposed a 12-member squad including the tehsildar to conduct a proper survey. The proposal has been sent for approval to the PMRDA commissioner. After approval, we will start the survey.”
Earlier, there was no department or manpower to act against unauthorised hoardings, Marale said. “A few months ago, we framed the policy and guidelines. Earlier, we were taking action on unauthorised hoardings through contract staff.We will now set up a sky signs’ department and deploy staff for handling hoardings,” he said.
The 12-member squad will inspect each and every hoarding in the PMRDA jurisdiction, and action will be taken to regularise hoardings by searching for hoarding owners and verifying documents. Beginning next week, unauthorised hoardings will be demolished. There are 842 villages and a surrounding area of 7,357 square kilometres within the PMRDA jurisdiction, and this includes state and national highways, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), and the cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad and several other villages.
In May this year, the Pune district administration had conducted a survey of hoardings in the PMRDA jurisdiction and found only 27 out of the total 1,440 hoardings to be authorised and the remaining 1,413 hoardings to be unauthorised. Eighty-seven out of the 1,413 unauthorised hoardings were deemed hazardous; posing a significant risk of accidents.
On April 17, 2023, an unstable hoarding fell on five persons in Kiwale, killing them. A month later, two hoardings crashed in Marunji village, Hinjewadi, but there were no injuries reported. The mishaps caused panic amongst residents and they demanded better safety measures and the removal of unauthorised hoardings in the PMRDA region.
