BMC’s draft hoarding policy to focus on stability, light pollution
BMC will explore whether permissions should be granted for advertisements on water, where floatels are often used to grab eyeballs on Mumbai’s coastline
Mumbai: In the aftermath of the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse which killed 17 and injured 75 last month, the BMC has formulated a draft policy for hoardings. Apart from structural stability of hoardings, the policy, which will be in the public domain for suggestions and objections from July 5, will also address the environmental concern of light pollution by digital hoardings.
The draft policy will also focus on advertisements on moving vehicles as well as on water. BMC will explore whether permissions should be granted for advertisements on water, where floatels are often used to grab eyeballs on Mumbai’s coastline.
A senior civic official said there will be a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the structural stability and foundation of hoardings. While the earlier hoarding policy, framed in 2016, asked for a structural stability certificate from an empanelled consultant, the new draft policy will require further details on the foundation, said the official. “Earlier, our policy didn’t emphasise on the construction of the hoarding. It was more about advertising fees and how much revenue is generated. It was more about commercial aspect than the construction part of it and the draft policy will explore this aspect,” the official added.
In the case of the Ghatkopar hoarding that collapsed, a report submitted by Veermata Jijabai Institute of Technological Institute (VJTI) had found its foundation to be “inadequate and weak”.
The senior official also said that while there is a huge demand for digital hoardings, the light pollution aspect of it, which many citizens have complained about, will be considered in the draft policy. At present, Mumbai has 1,027 hoardings of which 67 are digitised. There are many applications pending to convert the others into digital hoardings. “Since there are many complaints from citizens as well, we are exploring whether we should ban digital hoardings in residential areas and restrict it in commercial areas,” said the official.
The policy will also explore aspects that were not covered in the earlier policy like advertisements on moving vehicles such as Ola and Uber cabs. “We are proposing that the size of the board should be restricted if moving vehicles want to put them up,” he said.
Light from digitised hoardings has been a major grouse among citizens and motorists. “During the beautification drive in Mumbai, there were complaints about an overdose of lights on trees and in the streets. Likewise, digital hoardings distract drivers. For many residents, digital hoardings visible through their windows are a major problem. All this will be considered in the new policy,” said the senior civic official.
A new aspect that will be considered in the policy is advertisement hoardings on water. “Mumbai is surrounded by a vast stretch of coastline and many advertisers tend to put up floatels at Marine Drive during IPL and even in Juhu and Bandra. We are exploring whether permissions should be granted for such advertisements as it is a new concept for us,” said the official.
The BMC has requested the IIT-Bombay director to nominate two individuals to aid in policy formation. Additionally, the department has contacted Rakesh Kumar, former director of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), to provide guidance and expertise in environmental matters.
The policy regarding the size of the hoardings has already been in place since 2016 and amendments to it were made in 2018. The draft 2024 policy will be in the public domain for suggestions and objections after July 5, as the election code of conduct is still on in Maharashtra.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.