BMC nod must for hoardings on MMRDA & rlys land in city: CM | Mumbai News – Times of India
MUMBAI: All hoardings on MMRDA and railway land in the city will need BMC permission and will have to follow civic norms, chief minister Ekanth Shinde announced on Tuesday.
“All unauthorised hoardings in the state should be removed. File police cases…Do a structural audit of official hoardings too. Hoardings under the jurisdiction of MMRDA and railways in Mumbai will require permission from BMC.Instructions should be given for erecting hoardings, as per BMC norms,” Shinde said at the pre-monsoon review meeting of the state.
The CM‘s directions came after a huge hoarding on a Government Railway Police (GRP)-owned land crashed on a petrol pump at Ghatkopar on May 13, killing 17 people. According to a report submitted after the incident, in April 2022, BMC had sent a notice to GRP asking how hoardings were erected without its approval. Then, GRP had responded that they were covered by railways laws, and did not need BMC nod. There was no communication from BMC to GRP thereafter, until May 2024, days before the hoarding fell during a dust storm.
“Bombay high court too had ruled in favour of the railways and rejected BMC’s jurisdiction over hoardings erected on railway land. This prevented us from pursuing further action,” said a senior civic official, adding: “We have pursued prosecution action against the petrol pump at the site for operating without necessary approval. Now, if the CM has issued orders that even railways will have to take BMC permission and follow civic norms, then we will regulate such hoardings.”
Last week, additional municipal commissioner (city) Ashwini Joshi, who also heads Mumbai’s district disaster management authority, had written to the railways asking them to immediately remove all “oversized” hoardings – more than 40ft x 40ft – on premises adjoining municipal roads/private land/structures to avoid disasters. BMC had listed 45 such hoardings on railway premises.
At the meeting, Shinde pointed out that there are 486 landslide-prone sites in the state and the district collectors concerned must keep vigilance and make necessary arrangements. “The health department should be prepared to control the spread of waterborne diseases…Also, structural audit of bridges over rivers should be done,” said the CM, adding that manhole covers and girders should be installed on roads in Mumbai. “All agencies should work in coordination,” he said.
“All unauthorised hoardings in the state should be removed. File police cases…Do a structural audit of official hoardings too. Hoardings under the jurisdiction of MMRDA and railways in Mumbai will require permission from BMC.Instructions should be given for erecting hoardings, as per BMC norms,” Shinde said at the pre-monsoon review meeting of the state.
The CM‘s directions came after a huge hoarding on a Government Railway Police (GRP)-owned land crashed on a petrol pump at Ghatkopar on May 13, killing 17 people. According to a report submitted after the incident, in April 2022, BMC had sent a notice to GRP asking how hoardings were erected without its approval. Then, GRP had responded that they were covered by railways laws, and did not need BMC nod. There was no communication from BMC to GRP thereafter, until May 2024, days before the hoarding fell during a dust storm.
“Bombay high court too had ruled in favour of the railways and rejected BMC’s jurisdiction over hoardings erected on railway land. This prevented us from pursuing further action,” said a senior civic official, adding: “We have pursued prosecution action against the petrol pump at the site for operating without necessary approval. Now, if the CM has issued orders that even railways will have to take BMC permission and follow civic norms, then we will regulate such hoardings.”
Last week, additional municipal commissioner (city) Ashwini Joshi, who also heads Mumbai’s district disaster management authority, had written to the railways asking them to immediately remove all “oversized” hoardings – more than 40ft x 40ft – on premises adjoining municipal roads/private land/structures to avoid disasters. BMC had listed 45 such hoardings on railway premises.
At the meeting, Shinde pointed out that there are 486 landslide-prone sites in the state and the district collectors concerned must keep vigilance and make necessary arrangements. “The health department should be prepared to control the spread of waterborne diseases…Also, structural audit of bridges over rivers should be done,” said the CM, adding that manhole covers and girders should be installed on roads in Mumbai. “All agencies should work in coordination,” he said.
