The Times of India 16.03.2013
Action against unauthorised hoardings to continue
PUNE: There was no let up
on the second day of the drive against unauthorised hoardings and
banners, as the civic staff pulled down 3,818 hoardings, flex boards and
banners from various part of the city, taking the number to 10,391
since Thursday.
The Bombay high court has extended the deadline to clear illegal hoardings till April 25.
A bunch of public interest litigations pertaining to illegal hoarding in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Mira Bhayander and Satara had come up for hearing before the high court bench comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale on Wednesday. While hearing the matter, the judges had orally set a 24-hour deadline for taking action against illegal hoardings and submit an action taken report on Friday.
Abhijit Kulkarni, panel lawyer of the PMC, said, "On Friday we submitted a report to the court about the action that we took on Thursday. The court appreciated the effort and gave order to continue the drive till April 25."
Kulkarni said after reviewing the action, the bench of justices A M Khanwilkar and A B Bhangale expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the drive. "The bench stated that measures should be taken to ensure that new hoardings do not come again at places where action has been carried out. The court has also suggested that the police's help be taken, if needed," Kulkarni said.
The anti-encroachment department, sky sign permission, building permission and health departments collectively carried out the drive. According to officials there are around 2,123 legal hoardings in the city.
'Remove metal structures used to put up hoardings'
Citizens groups in the city have demanded that action should also be taken against the structures on which illegal hoardings are mounted so that unauthorised hoardings are eliminated permanently. "The drive will be made more effective if the iron structures on which hoardings are mounted are also removed. In many cases the administration has only removed the posters and advertising material on these structures," said Ajay Vaishampayan, founder of UV foundation, in a letter written to the civic administration.
He said that if the structures are not removed properly, then the hoardings will crop up again. Many of these have been put up on private and government land, without proper permission.
The Bombay high court has extended the deadline to clear illegal hoardings till April 25.
A bunch of public interest litigations pertaining to illegal hoarding in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Mira Bhayander and Satara had come up for hearing before the high court bench comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale on Wednesday. While hearing the matter, the judges had orally set a 24-hour deadline for taking action against illegal hoardings and submit an action taken report on Friday.
Abhijit Kulkarni, panel lawyer of the PMC, said, "On Friday we submitted a report to the court about the action that we took on Thursday. The court appreciated the effort and gave order to continue the drive till April 25."
Kulkarni said after reviewing the action, the bench of justices A M Khanwilkar and A B Bhangale expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the drive. "The bench stated that measures should be taken to ensure that new hoardings do not come again at places where action has been carried out. The court has also suggested that the police's help be taken, if needed," Kulkarni said.
The anti-encroachment department, sky sign permission, building permission and health departments collectively carried out the drive. According to officials there are around 2,123 legal hoardings in the city.
'Remove metal structures used to put up hoardings'
Citizens groups in the city have demanded that action should also be taken against the structures on which illegal hoardings are mounted so that unauthorised hoardings are eliminated permanently. "The drive will be made more effective if the iron structures on which hoardings are mounted are also removed. In many cases the administration has only removed the posters and advertising material on these structures," said Ajay Vaishampayan, founder of UV foundation, in a letter written to the civic administration.
He said that if the structures are not removed properly, then the hoardings will crop up again. Many of these have been put up on private and government land, without proper permission.
