The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken down 7,789 banners, hoardings, posters and flags across the city in the past two days following the conclusion of the Navratri 2025 festivities.
According to the civic body’s licence department, the drive was carried out on Friday and Saturday to clear materials that had either outlived their permitted display period or had been put up illegally.
As of 6 pm on Saturday, officials said 5,522 banners, 1,266 hoardings (boards), 508 posters, and 493 flags were removed. The drive also covered unauthorised entry gates, wall posters, and other temporary displays.
The Mumbai civic body said most of the materials were permitted only for the festival period, and once the duration ended, they were dismantled as part of routine enforcement.
The licence department added that the crackdown on illegal displays is ongoing.
mid-day.com had earlier reported how the festive hoardings has turned into a nightmare for motorists on the Western Express Highway (WEH) as oversized political hoardings and banners put up for Dussehra have created hazardous conditions, leading to a series of minor mishaps and near-misses.
Over the past few days, commuters travelling along the WEH have complained of giant cut-outs, flex banners, and cloth hoardings tied across poles and dividers, obstructing visibility. Some of these banners, loosely fastened with ropes and wires, have reportedly dangled dangerously low, brushing against moving vehicles. In multiple instances, bikers have been struck on the head and face.
Motorist Tanmay Chavan, travelling from Bandra to Andheri, said, “Late on Wednesday evening, a large hoarding tied to a street lamp and a bamboo suddenly came loose. The biker ahead of me braked suddenly, and I narrowly avoided hitting it. Such reckless display of banners is a direct threat to our lives.”
Another motorist, Ashutosh Revale, said, “A hoarding on the stretch between Bandra and Khar struck me on the forehead two days ago. It had been put up in such a way that its bamboo frame extended beyond the yellow safety line. I was at fault, too, as I wasn`t wearing a helmet at the time.” Traffic police officials also confirmed that they have witnessed several such incidents since the Dussehra banners were put up three to four days ago.
“On Wednesday night, I helped at least seven to eight bike riders who had crashed into each other after the first one bumped into the hoarding near Santacruz. He had slammed the emergency brakes, and the rest followed suit. During evening peak hours, bikers just have a small gap on the left side of the road in which they zip through traffic. Banners are always put up there, as that`s where streetlight poles are. Dealing with this situation only adds to our workload,” said Sitaram Gawande, a traffic police officer deployed along the WEH.
