Illegal hoardings spring up in Mumbai once again

Social activist Bhagwanji Rayani on Thursday approached the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to all municipal corporations to strictly implement its March 13 order to remove all illegal hoardings in the city.

Rayani approached a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice MS Sanklecha stating that hoardings have mushroomed once again during the ongoing Ganpati festival.

The HC had on March 13 directed all municipal corporations and district councils to remove illegal hoardings within a day.

Rayani argued that following the HC order, the civic bodies had initiated action against illegal hoardings. However, the corporation has once again become lax which has resulted in illegal hoardings cropping up in the city during the festival. The HC has kept the PIL for hearing on September 19.

On March 13, a division bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar had directed that all illegal hoardings to be removed after observing that it was defacing the city.

The direction was passed when the court was hearing a suo moto (on its own) public interest litigation on the issue after perusing a compliance report submitted by the chief the of Satara municipal corporation indicating that they have removed all unauthorised hoardings in Satara within a week.

“Everywhere we are seeing hoardings defacing the city’s skyline.

Majority of these banners are of political parties. The municipal commissioners, by not initiating action against such illegal hoardings, is becoming a co-conspirator in the offence,” the court had said.