At least 21 illegal hoardings were taken down by Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) anti-encroachment department, including six in Mohammadwadi area in three days. The drive against illegal hoardings took place following two hoarding collapse incidents in Mohammadwadi, coinciding with another incident in Kiwale area in Pimpri-Chinchwad where five persons were killed.
Five people, who had taken shelter under an iron hoarding, lost their lives and three others were injured after an iron hoarding collapsed in Kiwale due to strong winds on April 17.
On the same evening, a huge iron hoarding installed in a private plot near Vibgyor school fell on the road while another iron hoarding collapsed on a private plot on the Mohammadwadi-Undri link road. No one was injured in the incidents, said officials.
Following the incidents, Vikram Kumar, PMC commissioner, ordered the immediate removal of illegal iron hoardings citing that they were a threat to the lives of commuters and area residents.
Prasad Katkar, assistant commissioner at Hadapsar-Mundhwa ward office, said that the hoardings were unauthorised and their structural audit was not done. “The landlords will be held responsible if any untoward incident happens in the future due to the iron hoardings. They must get the necessary permissions for installing the hoardings and complete structural audit which is mandatory,” he said.
The sky sign department has formed special squads to detect illegal hoardings and remove them at the earliest.
{{/usCountry}}The sky sign department has formed special squads to detect illegal hoardings and remove them at the earliest.
{{/usCountry}}Madhav Jagtap, head of anti-encroachment department, said, “The action has been planned on a long-term basis and illegal hoardings are being removed for violation of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act and also they are not safe for the commuters and residents passing through the area.”
Jagtap further said, “A 24-hour notice has been issued to the central railways seeking removal of illegal hoardings under their jurisdiction failing which PMC will take strict action in this regard.”
According to the sky sign department, there are as many as 1,600 illegal hoardings in the newly merged areas of the corporation and despite giving amnesty to the owners, nobody had come forward to complete the legal paperwork which has made tracing the ownership a cumbersome act before the municipal authorities.
“Recent incidents of hoarding collapse has highlighted the need to review the legal framework for sky sign. Pune is plastered with both legal and illegal hoardings, which not only mar the city’s cultural fabric but also pose a serious threat to public safety,” said Sudhir Mehta, lead and coordinator, Pune Platform for Collaborative Response (PPCR).
PPCR will be submitting a request to the city administration, guardian minister, and other leaders to take decisive and immediate action to eliminate these public safety hazards from the city.
Daljeet Goraya, director, NIBM Annex Citizens Forum, said, “Mohammawadi is dotted with huge iron hoardings and their structural audit is needed. PMC has to take strict action in this regard.”
Kunal Khemnar, additional commissioner, said, “Permission for hoardings is granted through the sky sign licensing department. The permission is given only after a certificate is obtained from the structural engineer. However, at present there is heavy rain with strong winds in Pune and the surrounding area. Considering this, an audit of all the legal hoardings will be done soon.”