Pune: More than two years after the fatal Ghatkopar hoarding collapse in Mumbai triggered a statewide crackdown on illegal billboards, unauthorised hoardings continue to appear at Hinjewadi Chowk despite repeated demolition drives by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The persistence of such structures has raised questions over enforcement and the authority’s ability to prevent their recurrence.
Following the May 13, 2024 Ghatkopar tragedy that claimed 17 persons and injured 80, the Pune district administration directed PMRDA and other civic agencies to inspect illegal hoardings within their jurisdictions. PMRDA’s survey identified 1,057 unauthorised hoardings, including 132 oversized and potentially hazardous structures in high-risk areas such as Hinjewadi, Wakad and Mahalunge. Notices were issued to owners, and police complaints were initiated against those who failed to comply.
After election-related restrictions were lifted in June 2024, PMRDA launched its first demolition drive at Hinjewadi Chowk and Wakad. However, only two hoardings could be removed on the first day due to manpower shortages, limited crane availability and heavy rainfall.
The authority continued its enforcement drives in phases through 2024 and 2025. According to PMRDA, several owners voluntarily removed unauthorised hoardings after receiving notices, while others faced demolition and legal action. Despite these measures, residents repeatedly complained that illegal structures had resurfaced at the busy Hinjawadi junction.
Ahead of the 2025 monsoon, PMRDA commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari issued a final warning to hoarding owners, directing them to either regularise their structures or remove them. Hinjewadi was identified as a priority location due to heavy traffic movement and the concentration of large commercial billboards.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the 2025 monsoon, PMRDA commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari issued a final warning to hoarding owners, directing them to either regularise their structures or remove them. Hinjewadi was identified as a priority location due to heavy traffic movement and the concentration of large commercial billboards.
{{/usCountry}}In April and May 2025, PMRDA removed eight illegal hoardings in Hinjewadi and along the Pune-Ahmednagar Highway. The authority said it had cleared 298 unauthorised hoardings across its jurisdiction during the previous year, including 247 removed voluntarily by owners after notices and 51 through forced demolition.
The enforcement drive continued this year. During a two-day operation on July 30 and 31 near Laxmi Chowk in Hinjewadi, PMRDA identified eight unauthorised oversized hoardings erected without permission on survey numbers 262 and 263. Following final notices citing public safety concerns, owners voluntarily removed six structures, while PMRDA demolished the remaining two.
During the operation, a crane engaged in dismantling one of the oversized hoardings overturned onto a roadside shop. No injuries or property damage were reported.
Despite these repeated drives, several illegal hoardings continue to remain visible at Hinjewadi Chowk. Residents and commuters have questioned the effectiveness of PMRDA’s action, alleging that unauthorised structures either remain in place for long periods or reappear soon after demolition. They said delays in enforcement have weakened the objective of improving public safety after the Ghatkopar tragedy.
PMRDA officials, however, maintained that action is being taken in phases and only after following due legal procedures.
Himmat Kharade, joint commissioner (additional charge), unauthorised construction and demolition department, PMRDA, said, “The hoardings were not at the exact same spot but within the same intersection. The issue is how they have reappeared. If they have been erected without permission, they are illegal. In the earlier case, the owners had applied for permission and their applications were under process. PMRDA can initiate demolition only after such applications are formally rejected. Once the requests for regularisation are rejected, the hoardings are treated as illegal and enforcement action is taken. As of now, all such hoardings at Hinjewadi Chowk have been removed. The drive against unauthorised hoardings and advertising structures across the PMRDA region will continue with strict enforcement.”