Maharashtra launches special drive to remove illegal hoardings and banners across the state, following Bombay High Court’s directions | Representational Image
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has told the Bombay High Court that it has launched a month-long special drive to remove illegal hoardings, banners, and flexes across the state.
This initiative, directed at municipal corporations, municipal councils, and nagar panchayats, comes in response to directions from the High Court in a public interest litigation (PIL) regarding the menace of illegal hoardings.
In an affidavit filed before the court, the Urban Development Department (UDD) stated that all civic bodies have been instructed to inspect and remove unauthorised structures while also ensuring that authorised ones meet size, height, and structural strength guidelines. A special drive will be conducted from January 26 to February 26, 2025, to enforce these measures.
The UDD has also mandated the formation of special teams, including representatives from civic administrations and local police, to ensure the continuity of the eviction process. Each administrative ward must have at least one such team actively removing unauthorised structures.
Municipal bodies have been directed to take strict action against repeat offenders responsible for erecting unauthorised hoardings. “Strict/concrete punitive action should be taken against those institutions or individuals who are responsible for erection of unauthorized hoardings, flexes, banners, posters etc., repeatedly in their areas of operation,” the affidavit read.
The affidavit further added that the civic bodies have been directed to instruct the Printing presses operating in their jurisdictions to verify civic permissions before printing hoardings or banners. Undertakings in this regard will now be mandatory for obtaining licenses or no-objection certificates, it added.
Additionally, the government has emphasised raising public awareness through media campaigns, urging citizens and organizations to refrain from erecting illegal hoardings. Civic bodies have been instructed to submit a compliance report to the Directorate of Municipal Administration by February 28, 2025.
The Bombay High Court has been monitoring this issue closely, reviving the PIL on illegal hoardings in October 2024 after observing widespread non-compliance with its 2017 order to prevent defacement of public spaces.
During the last hearing in December 2024, the court expressed grave concern over the rising number of illegal hoardings, calling the situation “horrendous and sad.”
The HC also issued notices to political parties, questioning why contempt action should not be taken against them for violating their undertakings to avoid unauthorized displays. The court had also warned civic authorities against inaction, stating it would be “compelled to take very strict action” if the situation is not addressed.
