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Urban Encroachment

Drive against illegal boards continues

Tuesday, 19 March 2013 10:12 administrator
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The Times of India                          19.03.2013

Drive against illegal boards continues

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday continued action against illegal publicity materials in the city, but did not remove any unauthorised hoardings.

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.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 March 2013 10:14
 

Several banners beat Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation heat

Tuesday, 19 March 2013 08:10 administrator
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The Times of India                          19.03.2013 

Several banners beat Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation heat

MUMBAI: Several political hoardings seem to have escaped the notice of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in its ongoing drive against illegal billboards.

On Monday, two days after the BMC submitted to the Bombay high court a report on the removal of over 6,000 illegal hoardings in 24 hours, many unauthorized political banners were still around in the city.

While many of the hoardings were old ones that had not been torn down, some were new additions.

A large hoarding put up by the Shiv Sena in Hindamata and hoardings put up by Nationalist Congress Party in Bhandup village were seen on Monday, suggesting the BMC drive was losing steam and the politicians who had vowed to support the campaign were not keeping their word.

"There is a manpower crunch in the licence department, owing to which it will be difficult to keep up the pace of the drive," a civic official said. "We have managed to clean major roads of the illegal hoardings and now will focus on the smaller roads."

The official said if citizens spotted an illegal hoarding, they should report it on the helpline and the civic body would take action in 48 hours.

Another official said the BMC was not giving permissions for new hoardings.

"If a new hoarding comes up, it is illegal and will be pulled down," the official said.

Jitesh Merani, a resident of Santa Cruz, was sceptical about the long-term success of the drive.

"If the BMC thinks politicians are not going to put up hoardings, then it is fooling itself," Merani said. "Once the BMC relaxes the drive, these hoardings will come up again."

The civic body is also in the process of drafting a policy on the lines of Delhi, which has zero tolerance for illegal hoardings and banners. It plans to soon appoint a team of officials to study how the civic body in Delhi manages to keep it free of posters and banners.

Under the new policy, only hoardings of a social or religious nature will be permitted. If illegal hoardings come up, action will be taken under the Property Defacement Act, which provides for a maximum punishment of three months and a possible fine of Rs 2,000.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 March 2013 08:12
 

Majority of illegal hoardings pulled down, says civic body

Tuesday, 19 March 2013 06:18 administrator
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The Indian Express                        19.03.2013

Majority of illegal hoardings pulled down, says civic body

FOUR days after the High Court gave an ultimatum to the civic administration to remove all illegal hoardings, posters and banners in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday claimed to have removed a majority of these.

On Monday, the civic administration removed 51 illegal posters, banners and hoardings from the city, said civic officials. The BMC has so far removed over 6,000 illegal posters, hoardings and banners.

"We have been continuing our crackdown on illegal hoardings and posters. The roads have been rid of a majority of illegal posters and hoardings," said S B Bande, Superitendent of Licenses.

The civic administration will also begin the process of sending notices to those who had put up such illegal hoardings and banners soon. "There is a certain time period we need to consider after which we can prosecute those who violate rules and put up illegal hoardings and banners. We are in the process of identifying those responsible for putting up such illegal banners and hoardings and sent them notices," said Bande.

Last week, the Bombay High Court had rapped the civic body and directed it to remove illegal advertisements and banners in the city within 24 hours. Observing that the majority of these hoardings are political, the court has also asked the civic bodies to issue notices to persons whose names or photographs are printed on the allegedly illegal hoardings.

Every month, the BMC removes 2,500-3,000 illegal hoardings. Based on data collected over a year, more than 70 per cent of these hoardings have been found to be political banners.

The HC order came after a petition by Thane activist Prabhakar Chaudhari. His lawyer Sagar Joshi said they had urged the court to direct the removal of the hoardings and initiation of action against concerned corporation officers who fail to act against them.

While the BMC has decided not to give any new permissions for political hoardings, if any illegal hoardings are found in an area, the civic administration can not only take action against those who put up such hoardings, but also ward officers who allow such hoardings.

The civic commissioner is in the process of drafting a policy to allow hoardings and banners on the lines of Delhi, which has a 'zero tolerance' for illegal hoardings and banners. Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte will soon send a team of civic officials to study how the civic body in Delhi has managed to keep it free of posters and banners despite it being a hub of political activity.

 
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