BMC issues notice to ad agency for immediate removal of three other hoardings

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC issued a notice to an advertisement agency on Monday after the Ghatkopar billboard collapse incident asking it to immediately remove the remaining three hoardings near the spot officials said reported news agency PTIGhatkopar hoarding collapse Notice issued to Ego MediaThe notice has been issued to Ms Ego Media for installing the hoarding that collapsed on the petrol pump during the gusty winds on Monday evening According to police eight persons were killed and more than 70 were injured in the incident reported PTIThe BMC has asked the ad agency to remove the remaining three hoardings immediately for not having valid permission an official said reported PTIThe Assistant Police Commissioner Admin had given permission for erecting the four hoardings on behalf of the Commissioner of Railway Police Mumbai including the one which collapsed on Monday but no official permission or NOC was obtained from the BMC reported PTIThe official said the land on which the hoarding was erected is the Collector land and it was in possession of Police Housing Welfare Corporation of the Government of Maharashtra as per the property card recordsThe land was initially given to the Government Railway Police for use it statedGhatkopar hoarding collapse Mumbai Police had registered a caseEarlier on May 2 the BMC issued a notice to the Assistant Commissioner of Police Admin of Railway Police to instruct the advertising agency about the cancellation of all permissions and remove the hoardings the BMC official said reported PTIMumbai Police had registered a case against the concerned advertising agency for allegedly poisoning trees which were obstructing the view of the hoardings in Chheda Nagar area he said reported PTIA case was registered against the Mulundbased Ms Ego Media on July 13 2023 at Pant Nagar police station for poisoning nine coconut trees and two bottle palm trees the official saidThough the BMC allows holdings of a maximum size of 40x40 square feet the illegal hoarding that collapsed measured 120 x 120 square feet in size the official said reported PTIHe said the work order for the installation of the hoarding was initially given in December 2021 by the then Assistant Commissioner of Police on behalf of the GRP CommissionerGhatkopar hoarding collapse Government Railway Police landRavindra Shisave Commissioner GRP said the land on which the hoardings were erected is in the possession of the Government Railway Police but the hoardings were erected at the spot before he took charge reported PTIHe further said that GRP has already launched a probe about the permissions given for installing the hoardingsTaking a serious note of the incident an inquiry has been started to find out under whose authority the permission was given Shisave said reported PTIAccording to sources the three hoardings are likely to be removed on Tuesday by the BMC reported PTIWith inputs from PTI