Raze all illegal hoardings by Oct 15, HC tells BMC

Also tells political parties to furnish details of how it tackled the menace

A hoarding announcing Ganeshotsav celebrations in Andheri East. Picture for representation/ Rane Ashish

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been put on the clock. The Bombay High Court has directed the civic body to ensure that all illegal hoardings erected during Ganeshotsav as well as those that are likely to come up during Navratri next month are razed in a special drive by October 15. The nine-day Navratri festival will begin in the first week of October.

The court also ordered the BMC to submit a detailed report by the same deadline on the number of illegal hoardings removed and offenders booked since January 1 this year.

At a hearing of a petition against illegal hoardings erected in the city by political outfits, the bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice AK Menon told political parties to submit details, also by October 15, on whether they set up mechanisms to allow citizens to report illegal banners, hoardings and flex banners and whether they were willing to act against errant party workers.

Advocate Uday Warunjikar brought to the court’s attention illegal hoardings erected in the city during Ganeshotsav. “Our earlier orders regarding illegal pandals already have a section dedicated to illegal hoardings. Getting permission for a pandal doesn’t mean getting permission to erect hoardings. They need a separate permission [for it],” said Justice Oka.

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