Mumbai Hoarding Collapse: BMC Removes Illegal Billboards from Railway Premises After Ghatkopar Tragedy

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to collect charges for removing illegal hoardings on railway premises. This initiative comes after the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) received a request letter from the Police Commissioner (Railways) seeking assistance in removing these hoardings due to a lack of resources within the railway police.

Already, eight out of the 45 illegal hoardings on railway premises have been removed by the BMC. An official from BMC’s License Department stated that the civic body has initiated the removal process in accordance with terms and conditions agreed upon with the Railways. Charges for this service will be determined upon completion of the work. Notably, the BMC has dismantled eight oversized hoardings erected by Ego Media on Government Railway Police (GRP) premises, which did not comply with civic policy.

In a letter dated May 17, the Police Commissioner (Railway) requested DDMA to undertake the hoarding removal task on their behalf, citing manpower and machinery shortages within the GRP.

According to BMC officials, Ego Media has installed four oversized hoardings in Ghatkopar and eight on GRP land in Dadar. The official confirmed that all hoardings in Dadar have been removed. Meanwhile, the death toll from the hoarding collapse incident on May 13 in Ghatkopar has tragically risen to 17 following the passing of a man at KEM Hospital. Raju Sonawane (52), who sustained injuries when the hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in Chheda Nagar during gusty winds and unseasonal rains, succumbed to his injuries on May 19.

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The installation of street-facing hoardings on railway premises mandates obtaining permissions from the municipal corporation, as stipulated in the Hoarding Policy Guidelines 2008. According to the policy, hoardings erected on railway premises or stations, regardless of their relevance to railway business and street-facing nature, require permission from the BMC. The policy outlines that after acquiring a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Railway Authority, the agency must seek hoarding display permissions from the municipal corporation for hoardings on railway premises.