BMC issues notices to railway authorities, asking them to remove hoardings of above 40x40 feet size

In the wake of the Mumbai billboard collapse incident that claimed 14 lives, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued notices to the administrations of the Central Railway and the Western Railway for removal of oversized hoardings erected on their land. In a release issued on Wednesday evening, the Mumbai civic body said that under Section 30 (2) (V) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the notices have been issued to the authorities of both the zonal railways for removal of hoardings above 40 x 40 feet size.

”Taking into consideration the geographical position of Mumbai, the coastal region, its weather and wind conditions, the civic body has decided not to permit erection of hoardings larger than 40×40 feet in size,” the release said.

On Monday evening, a 120×120 feet hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump at Chheda Nagar in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai due to gusty winds and unseasonal rains, claiming the lives of 14 persons and injuring 75 others. According to the civic body, the collapsed hoarding stood on a piece of land in possession of the Government Railway Police (GRP). The Ghatkopar incident prompted the civic body to undertake a drive for removal of illegal and dangerous hoardings across the city.

The civic body has claimed that it has undertaken a drive for demolition of illegal hoardings ”on war footing” and it has already started the demolition of remaining three hoardings on the GRP’s land in Ghatkopar. It claimed that they were erected without obtaining permission from the civic body.

Due to high wind velocity, some issues are being faced in the demolition process of the three hoardings, but two of the hoardings will be pulled down by Thursday night.

”The three hoardings at Chheda Nagar will be demolished, taking the wind speed into consideration,” the BMC said. It said that it has already removed a huge hoarding of a sweet shop outside the Malad railway station in the city. Several citizens had complained about the hoarding through social media.