BMC approves new hoarding policy, prevent politicians from using public space for advertisements
Digital hoardings can be set up at malls, multiplexes, shopping complex, commercial buildings, petrol pumps, and other places that have LED display boards.
The city will soon see a remarkable decrease in visual clutter. The BMC has approved a new hoarding policy, which mandates a minimum distance of 100 metres between hoardings. This means that clusters of multiple hoardings on buildings at prime locations will not be allowed. Hoardings on rooftops and the ones at heritage precincts on sea-facing promenades like Marine Drive and Worli Sea Face will also be banned. Flyovers, foot overbridges (FOBs) and skywalks too will be free of visual pollution.
AfterMunicipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi ’s approval, the policy has gone to the state government’s Urban Development (UD) department. “Based on the High Court’s orders in 2017, we had published the draft hoarding policy. We took suggestions and objections from the public and then approved the final policy. We have asked the UD department to clear the policy so that it can be implemented,” said a senior civic official and added that under the new policy, advertisers and hoarding owners who violate the norms can be blacklisted.
The civic body is not permitting any new hoardings on terraces and neither is it renewing old permissions. It is trying to get a high court stay order lifted to clear a few hoardings.
digital hoardings , which will prevent political parties from putting up hoarding on lands belonging to the collector, MHADA, PWD, airport authority, and BEST undertaking. During elections, permission to put up giant display boards will be given as per the code of conduct.
Digital hoardings can be set up at malls, multiplexes, shopping complex, commercial buildings, petrol pumps, and other places that haveLED display boards .
However, the new policy allows vinyl wrap, graffiti, wall painting and floating balloons.
Meanwhile, the civic body will continue with its policy against hoardings on public recreational grounds and in gardens. It will also not allow such publicity materials in places with high tension wires, without the electricity department’s permission.
As an incentive, the civic body will give 10 per cent rebate on hoardings having CCTV cameras, which will give live feed to BMC’s disaster control. Hoardings run on solar energy will also get a 10 per cent rebate in the first year.
The new hoarding policy must be discussed at length, said Samajwadi party MLA Rais Shaikh and added that it has no mention of the rampant hacking of trees for installing hoardings. “There should be a specific clause that prevents installation of hoardings on land where there are trees. An NOC from the Tree Authority must also be made mandatory before installation of any hoarding. I will take up the issue with the state government and request them to take this into consideration,” he said.
After
The civic body is not permitting any new hoardings on terraces and neither is it renewing old permissions. It is trying to get a high court stay order lifted to clear a few hoardings.
The new policy’s focus is on
Digital hoardings can be set up at malls, multiplexes, shopping complex, commercial buildings, petrol pumps, and other places that have
However, the new policy allows vinyl wrap, graffiti, wall painting and floating balloons.
Meanwhile, the civic body will continue with its policy against hoardings on public recreational grounds and in gardens. It will also not allow such publicity materials in places with high tension wires, without the electricity department’s permission.
As an incentive, the civic body will give 10 per cent rebate on hoardings having CCTV cameras, which will give live feed to BMC’s disaster control. Hoardings run on solar energy will also get a 10 per cent rebate in the first year.
The new hoarding policy must be discussed at length, said Samajwadi party MLA Rais Shaikh and added that it has no mention of the rampant hacking of trees for installing hoardings. “There should be a specific clause that prevents installation of hoardings on land where there are trees. An NOC from the Tree Authority must also be made mandatory before installation of any hoarding. I will take up the issue with the state government and request them to take this into consideration,” he said.
