The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified its crackdown on hoardings in the wake of the Ghatkopar incident, where 14 people lost their lives and 74 were injured. Two hoardings in Ghatkopar and Malad (W) were dismantled on Wednesday, with efforts ongoing to remove the iron structures tonight and tomorrow. A day after the tragedy, Civic Chief and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani visited the site. While assessing the situation, he instructed officials to take swift action against unauthorized billboards across the BMC area.
Simultaneously, the civic body removed three more billboards in the Chheda Nagar area, which were erected without proper permission. This removal operation was conducted without disrupting the ongoing rescue efforts at the accident site, with the dismantling of iron structures from these billboards currently in progress.
According to BMC records, there are a total of 1,025 licensed hoardings under its jurisdiction. Among these, 573 are illuminated, 382 are non-illuminated, and the remaining 70 are equipped with LED lights. Andheri (West) holds the highest number of hoardings at 134, followed closely by Khar with 129. Conversely, areas like Mulund, Fort, Colaba, and their surroundings have fewer licensed hoardings.
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Meanwhile, Dr. Ashwani Joshi, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City), has issued notices to the Divisional Railway Managers of Central and Western Railways to remove hoardings exceeding the permissible size of 40 by 40 feet. These notices were issued under Section 30 (2) (V) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, by BMC acting as the District Disaster Management Authority.
Considering Mumbai's coastal location and the associated weather and wind conditions, the municipal administration prohibits the installation of billboards larger than 40 feet by 40 feet. However, it has come to light that advertisement boards of irregular sizes have been erected near municipal roads and on private land within railway administration limits. Consequently, Dr. Ashwani Joshi has directed the immediate removal of all advertisement boards exceeding the specified dimensions within railway administration limits to prevent a recurrence of the Ghatkopar tragedy.