The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) held a meeting with companies and hoarding holders to prepare for the upcoming monsoon season, which is expected to bring thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Unauthorized hoardings in PMRDA areas, exceeding prescribed dimensions and height limits, especially those higher than the ceiling of high-rise buildings or along national highways, pose risks during summer winds and are strictly prohibited to prevent potential loss of life or financial damage.
Last year, 17 people died and 75 were left injured after an illegal hoarding bigger than the size of an Olympic pool collapsed on top of a petrol pump in Mumbai.
The meeting was chaired by PMRDA Joint Commissioner Dr. Dipti Suryavanshi-Patil and focused on issues related to illegal hoardings and the immediate removal of dangerous ones to ensure public safety.
Officials present included Superintendent of Police Amol Tambe, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Deepak Singla, and Metropolitan Commissioner Dr. Yogesh Mhase.
The meeting underlined the need to remove risky hoardings, especially in busy areas.
It was also stressed that all hoardings must have proper permissions. Strict actions will be taken against those who violate the rules to prevent accidents and ensure safety during the monsoon, the PMRDA officials added.
Strict guidelines were issued: dangerous hoardings must be removed immediately, unauthorized hoardings on major roads like Hinjewadi, Haveli, Wagholi, and Pune-Satara Road should be cleared, and all permission cases must be submitted by April 8, 2025. Failure to comply will result in eviction actions.
PMRDA also ordered that new hoardings should not be installed without proper permission, and no more than one hoarding should be placed on the same structure. In case of an accident caused by a hoarding, the owner, advertiser, and space owner will be held responsible.
