Mumbai: No hoarding will be allowed on footpaths and digital ones should not be taller than traffic signals, the state govt has said based on the recommendations of a high-level inquiry committee set up following the Ghatkopar hoarding crash that killed 17 persons in May last year. It also said civic bodies must prepare and publish a list of designated sites for digital hoardings.Home department officials said the directives will supersede all hoarding-related policies issued across the state, including by BMC. All recommendations of the probe committee led by former Allahabad HC Chief Justice Dilip Bhosale were adopted at a cabinet meeting, chaired by CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, along with an action taken report (ATR) prepared by additional chief secretary, home department, I S Chahal, for implementation of the directives within a month. The probe report outlines 21 specific guidelines as preventive measures. It recommended that all illegal hoardings that are not in compliance with norms should be removed immediately, that civic authorities must conduct periodic inspections after granting permissions, that a nodal agency be appointed to grant permissions, and permission data be displayed on hoardings. The panel also suggested limiting the maximum size of hoardings to 40ftx40 feet, banning their installation on terraces or compound walls, and ensuring adherence to safety standards related to location-specific risks, traffic safety, pedestrian convenience—particularly for the differently-abled—design, surroundings, and environmental considerations. Under Section 520-C of Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the directions issued by the state govt are binding on BMC. On May 13, 2024, a hoarding that was larger than permitted collapsed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar, killing 17 persons and injuring more than 80, leading to criminal investigations against the hoarding’s owners and others.
