The
drive began last Thursday. The civic administration had removed over
6,500 publicity and propaganda items on Thursday and submitted a report
on Friday. The court, on Friday, gave the PMC an extension till April
25. On Friday, over 3,500 boards were removed in city areas. The
administration had on Saturday removed 2,336 boards.

“On Monday
we continued the action. Nearly 700 flex boards, banners and flags were
removed in the drive. No hoarding was removed,” said the officials of
the anti-encroachment department. The officials said that the drive will
continue in days to come.

The drive was collectively carried
out by the anti-encroachment department, the sky sign permission, the
building permission and health departments. As per the PMC records,
there are only 2,123 legal hoardings in the city.

The drive was
started following a Bombay high court verdict on a bunch of public
interest litigations (PILs) pertaining to illegal hoardings in Mumbai,
Thane, Pune, Mira Bhayander and Satara.