According to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)'s preliminary investigations, the Mumbai division's railway authorities and GRP permitted over 300 illegal hoardings that were found across the city. In Mumbai, there are 1,225 hoardings, according to BMC authorities.
After the recent Ghatkopar hoarding collapse incident officials conducted an inspection and discovered that the 306 hoardings allowed by the Western railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) are illegal and do not have the necessary authorisation, while the ones cleared by the BMC are within the allowable size limit of 40 by 40 feet. Of those illegal hoardings, 45 illegal hoardings are larger than the 40 by 40 feet maximum allowed.Following the recent hoarding incident that resulted in 17 fatalities and 80 injuries, the BMC removed 16 of the 306 unlawful hoardings in Dadar TT and at the BPCL petrol outlet in Ghatkopar.
A civic official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that there are discussions with the Railways to either reduce or eliminate the hoardings to a size that is acceptable. Following the event, 16 of these illegal hoardings in Ghatkopar and Dadar TT were destroyed. They also wrote a letter to the GRP. The legal matter pertaining to the unlawful hoardings on railway property is still ongoing before the court.
WR and others appealed to the Bombay High Court (HC) in 2017 with the argument that the railway authority shouldn't require authorisation in order to erect hoardings on their property. The HC decided that raising hoardings by the Railways is not subject to BMC's approval. However, in an affidavit filed in March 2024, the BMC claimed that the Railways were permitting big hoardings close to municipal roadways and railway tracks, endangering public safety.
An official from GRP said that letters had been exchanged following the event, and the BMC had demolished some of the hoardings under their jurisdiction. They have collaborated with them. Regarding the hoardings, WR is in discussions with the BMC as well and there has been a letter exchange.
The BMC officials have roped off the illegal hoardings after identifying them. The unlawful hoardings will be taken down by the contractors hired. by civic authorities Prior to starting the hoarding demolition, they will notify the traffic and railway authorities in order to prevent any obstacles. According to BMC authorities, demolition would not stop until all unauthorised hoardings are taken down.
Out of the 45 enormous hoardings, 15 are owned by Ego Media; one of these hoardings crashed on the BPCL petrol pump in Ghatkopar recently. The director of Ego Media, Bhavesh Bhinde, owned all three of the hoardings that were dismantled by the BMC beside the BPCL petrol pump.
Share
Tweet
