The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has pulled down 11,563 illegal banners, posters, and advertisement boards from public places after the Ganesh festival, between September 7 and September 12. Of these, about 20 per cent were political banners and 70 per cent were religious in nature. Only 10 per cent were commercial advertisements.
The civic body undertakes a special drive every year to address the spurt in illegal banners that deface the city during the festive seasons of Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Diwali. According to BMC’s rules, Ganesh mandals can host banners within a radius of approximately 15 metres from the pandal. Any other banners that come up, including those on traffic medians (road dividers), traffic signals, on bollards of footpaths, and around traffic islands, are not authorised by the civic body.
The largest number of banners was removed from Andheri East (1729), followed by Lower Parel (1085), Dadar (982), and Girgaon (833). The BMC also noted 20 instances of wall defacements during this period, and removed 1009 flags from across the city.
Action taken
This year, even though 11,563 banners and posters were pulled down, the BMC initiated action in 26 cases under Sections 328 and 328(a) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act (1888), which governs sky signs and mandates that BMC’s permission is required to put up such signs in public places.
The BMC filed only one FIR with the police against organisers, and police complaints were made by the civic body in 28 such instances.
OfficialSpeak
A senior civic official explained that punitive action is possible against offenders when BMC is able to recognise the origin of the hoardings and banners that are put up. Only in a few instances do hoardings identify their owner, with a name, signature or contact number. In cases of political hoardings, action is taken against the political parties identified in the hoardings or banners.
15 metres
Area around pandal where hoardings are allowed
Banners, posters removed by BMC
Religious 7887
Political 2266
Commercial 381
Flags removed 1009
Wall defacements 20
Total 11,563
Action initiated
Prosecutions under
MMC Act 26
Letters to police 28
FIRs registered 1
