City skyline will have 119 hoardings less…..Linah Baliga
The civic body’s dream of having clearer skylines in the city will take at least another year, as the implementation of the revised new policy guidelines for hoardings is being conducted in a long-drawn phase-wise manner.
Following the Bombay High Court order of March 13, to take action against billboards violating guidelines, BMC in the first phase has issued removal notices to 119 advertisers having one upon one hoardings.
As per the new policy guidelines which came into effect from April 1, one on one hoardings will not be allowed henceforth. BMC has directed them to remove the upper hoarding in conformity of the revised policy guidelines. However, on failing to do so, the original permit issued for the lower hoarding also shall stand revoked.
However, not ready to give up without a fight, the 119 hoarding owners will be represented before the civic body and a hearing will be given before taking any action.
Milind Shambharkar, deputy municipal commissioner (specials), “All the 119 hoardings aren’t illegal as they existed even before the policies came into effect. 114 hoarding owners have made a representation till now. We have to hear them and go to the spot to verify. All this is a very a slow and time consuming process.”
As of today, there are 2,851 hoardings in Mumbai but the civic body is unable to give an exact number of the hoardings that will go.
Milind Shambharkar, deputy municipal commissioner (specials), “All the 119 hoardings aren’t illegal as they existed even before the policies came into effect. 114 hoarding owners have made a representation till now. We have to hear them and go to the spot to verify. All this is a very a slow and time consuming process.”
As of today, there are 2,851 hoardings in Mumbai but the civic body is unable to give an exact number of the hoardings that will go.