BMC's new hoarding policy bats for digital

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is preparing a hoarding policy that will pave way for setting up digital hoardings across the city and also regulate banners and hoardings that can be put up — even in small lanes of the city. The policy is likely to be put for objections and suggestions for public by mid-December.

The civic body is also working to end putting up huge photos of politicians in banners and hoardings, but the policy has yet to be finalised. It will even need to get approved from the state government.

As part of the new policy, the BMC is planning to set up LED screen hoardings instead of using flex boards that requires to be changed every time the advertiser changes.

To justify the shift, the civic body claims that LED screen hoarding has dual benefits. First, it can be used for advertisement while the screen can also be used for sending public announcement messages during emergency.

"We will use the screen during disaster like heavy rainfall to send message about roads to be avoided," said a senior official, attached to the project. The control of digital hoarding will be both the contractor as well as the BMC.

However, one of the major problem in using LED screen roads is possible accidents. "We are also looking at these aspects, as we may not get permission to use digital hoarding," said the official. However, he said that they are planning to use static advertisement in the LED screen to prevent possible road accidents, and will also look at areas where vehicular movement is less and low road accident is reported.

The hoarding policy, which is being framed after almost 10 years, it will bring other stakeholder like railways at one platform.

Khalid Batliwala, President of Mumbai Hoarding Owners Association has welcomed the civic body's move. "This is an encouraging development and it will change the face of the city," said Batliwala.

The new hoarding policy will also regulate the size of photos that can be used in banners or hoardings. "Though the policy is being framed, the possibilities are being looked at to do away the practice of putting up gigantic photos of politicians," said the official.