IE : BMC to Accept Tips for Hoardings : Aug 10, 2007
BMC to accept tips for hoardings
Express News Service
Mumbai, August 09: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will accept
suggestions and objections of citizens on the draft guidelines for hoardings
in the city from August 10 to September 10. Thereafter, hearing on
objections will be conducted and then the guidelines tabled before the civic
administration for final approval.
To rid the heritage-rich south Mumbai skyline of hoardings, the BMC has
proposed ‘no hoardings’ in the various wards there.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) R A Rajeev said from Ward A to E
advertisers will not be allowed to display hoardings. “There will not be a
major loss if we do not allow hoardings in these areas as there is a ban on
display of hoardings from ward A to C, we are only extending the ban to ward
D and E,” he said.
As a part of the new guidelines for hoardings, the civic administration has
followed the New Delhi Municipal Corporation’s pattern wherein areas with
heritage structures and of historical importance are kept hoarding-free.
Likewise, no hoardings will be permissible on municipal properties except
leasehold lands.
Importantly, hoardings will be allowed to be erected on buildings’ terraces
only after the consent of residents and top-floor flat-occupiers.
The clause of residents’ consent for hoardings on building terraces was
included in the guidelines after Mayor Shubha Raul requested for it.
Henceforth, permission of residents will be mandatory for advertisers before
erecting the hoarding on a terrace. And only one hoarding will be allowed on
a single terrace after taking the top-floor occupier’s permission.
The city has been divided into three zones: H1- Wards A, B, C, D and E, H2-
F/South, F/North, G/South, G/North, H/ West, H/East and H3-K/West, K/East,
P/South, P/North, R/North, R/Central, R/South, L, M/East, M/West, N, S and
T, as per the new guidelines.
The civic administration has also fixed sizes of hoardings in H2 (10X20
meters, 20X20 meters, 24X12 meters) and H3 (10X20 meters, 20X20 meters,
24X12 meters and 30X15 meters). New permissions for hoardings will be based
on these sizes and existing hoardings of non-standard sizes will not be
permissible beyond March 31, 2008.
For displaying hoardings at footpath if it has trees, advertising agencies
will have to pay a security deposit of Rs 10,000 per tree up to a distance
of 10 meters from its hoarding.
A fine of Rs 10,000 will be imposed in addition to penal action if a tree is
damaged, cut, trimmed or pruned while displaying the hoarding.
Rajeev said that backlit, back-to back advertisements, tri-vision
advertisements, neon signs and advertisements at bus shelters and
construction fences will be allowed as non-lit special advertising structure
is proposed to be permitted in all zones. “This way the sky-line will not
turn ugly and the neon signs will also provide light,” he said.
Publication : IE; Section : MN; Pg : 1; Date : 10/8/07
URL : http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=250215