Mumbai News: Colaba Doctor Serves Legal Notice To BMC Chief Over Illegal Hoardings

As illegal political banners greeting citizens for Ganeshotsav festival have taken over the streets of Mumbai, a Colaba-based doctor served a legal notice to the municipal commissioner for removal of the hoardings. The notice demanded the civic body to act in pursuance of Bombay High Court’s order and also initiate legal proceedings against offenders.

Hoardings Erected Across Public Spaces

With the arrival of the festive season, the maximum city has been dumped with countless illegal hoardings, which have been erected on public roads, footpaths, parks, trees, lamp posts and other public property in every nook and corner. While the social media is filled up with citizens’ backlash against illegal banners and hoardings, a Colaba-based doctor has served a legal notice to the municipal commissioner regarding removal of these banners.

Legal Violations Highlighted

Through the notice, Dr. Aniruddha Malpani has highlighted that these illegal hoardings, advertised without obtaining the requisite permissions or licenses from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), constitute clear violations of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act as well as the civic body’s advertisement control regulations. He claimed that these illegal structures cause obstruction to pedestrians, limit traffic visibility, lead to accidents, and amount to danger to public safety, apart from spoiling the urban landscape.

Public Safety and Urban Aesthetics at Risk

Alleging that the illegal hoardings deface public spaces, Dr. Malpani has demanded the civic chief to remove all the illegal banners and levy penalties on offenders as well as civic officials. He also cited Bombay High Court’s order dated October 2024 mandating all municipal corporations to conduct a seven-day special drive for removal of illegal hoardings and ensure strictest possible action, permissible under law, against the offenders. The court, in December 2024, took serious note of political parties’ blatant disregard of warnings and demanded an explanation from the civic body. 

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Call for Strong Action

The notice stated that BMC’s failure to act responsibly in ensuring court compliance sets a dangerous precedent that threatens civic order. It demanded the municipal commissioner to order an immediate survey and removal drive, with police support, and to initiate penal action against the perpetrators. Notably, the complainant had filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court in 2023 proposing a framework similar to the Motor Vehicles Act to issue challans against illegal banners.

Revenue Loss to Government

Talking to The Free Press Journal, Dr. Malpani said, “While these illegal banners are a threat to public security and environment, they are also a significant loss of revenue to the government. The major problem in this regard was how to curb the menace of illegal banners and I have suggested a solution to implement traffic challan-like system of levying online fines.”