Illegal, mobile hoardings must go: HC …..TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday ordered the BMC to crack down on hoardings in the city that violate rules. Hearing a public interest litigation filed by city gynaecologist Dr Anahita Pundole, a division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice J P Devdhar also directed the Mumbai traffic police to take action against mobile hoardings that obstruct traffic on the roads or occupy parking lots in the city.
The courts orders came following a report submitted by municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak on billboards in the city. During the last hearing, the HC had asked Phatak to personally survey hoardings at important places in the city. The commissioner in his report submitted that he had checked about 202 hoardings across the city from Nariman Point and Marine Drive to Haji Ali, Worli, Mahim and Bandra. While some of the billboards were in violation of the fresh guidelines framed by the BMC, many had obtained stays from the Supreme Court, added the report. The new guidelines had come into effect from February 2008, and bar hoardings within 20 mt from the stop line at road intersections, traffic islands, or those which obstruct the view of the sea or green cover.
The traffic police, represented by assistant government pleader Milind More, informed the court that vehicles on which the mobile hoardings are mounted are in violation of the Motor Vehicle Act. More also told the court that the mobile hoardings obstruct traffic on the roads and carriage ways, and are stationed in parking lots. The judges asked the joint commissioner of traffic to initiate action against such mobile hoardings.
Senior advocate Iqbal Chagla, counsel for the petitioner, brought to the courts notice, the commissioners affidavit that revealed that around 407 hoardings on land owned by Central and Western railways have been erected without any permission.
The court issued notices to the railways and have asked them to explain their stand on the illegal hoardings before the next date of hearing on April 28.