24 illegal hoardings identified in PCMC survey, five removed

PUNE: Following the collapse of an illegal hoarding in Mumbai which claimed 16 lives and left 75 others injured on May 13, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Monday pulled down five unauthorised hoardings in twin city, officials said. Starting Monday, the civic body has initiated action against illegal hoardings in the twin city.

Between May 15 and 18, the PCMC carried out a survey of hoardings in Pimpri-Chinchwad in the course of which 24 illegal hoardings were identified. To begin with, action was taken against five out of the 24 illegal hoardings identified during the survey. The five illegal hoardings removed were located on the Pune-Nashik Highway in the ‘E’ zone of the PCMC, informed Sandip Khot, head of the sky signs department of the PCMC.

“The action against other illegal hoardings located in other zonal offices will continue. We have two agencies appointed to raze the hoardings. However, it takes time to remove these hoardings,” Khot said.

Shekhar Singh, PCMC commissioner, said, “We are providing a fresh format for the structural audit which gives clear instructions and fixes responsibility on the structural audit. In case of untoward incidents, the hoarding owners cannot refuse responsibility. We are also discussing legal ways to fix responsibility on the land owner, the person who has erected the hoarding, and the advertisers in case of illegal hoardings and untoward incidents.”

Singh said, “Following the survey, we have started action against illegal hoardings. Twenty-four illegal hoardings have been identified by the sky signs department. However, we are cross-verifying the hoarding numbers through the zonal offices.”

Last Thursday, the PCMC had filed an FIR against two individuals at the MIDC Bhosari police station following the collapse of a massive hoarding in Moshi on Thursday, May 16. However, no casualties were reported, but two two-wheelers and one tempo were damaged.

Additionally, the PCMC has identified 341 hoardings in the city which have been erected in violation of the hoarding size permitted as per the license issued to the hoarding owners. Civic officials said that action will also be initiated against the owners of these hoardings.

According to the PCMC, 191 illegal hoardings were removed last year following the collapse of a billboard in Kiwale that killed five people. Currently, there are as many as 1,136 hoardings registered with the PCMC. Besides, officials have also received applications to install 15 new hoardings.