On Monday, May 13, a towering 120×120 hoarding near a petrol pump in Mumbai’s Chheda Nagar, Ghatkopar collapsed. The incident occurred due to a fierce dust storm and heavy rainfall. The collapse resulted in 8 deaths and left 20-30 people trapped underneath.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the site of the hoarding on the Eastern Expressway and overlooked the relief operations.
He addressed the media expressing sorrow and assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the incident.
Shinde has promised Rs. 5 lakh to the families of each deceased victim and also free treatment to all the injured provided by the government.
The CM has instructed the Mumbai Municipal Corporation to audit and remove all unauthorised and dangerous hoardings as soon as possible.
“Rescuing the people is our priority. Government will take care of the treatment of those who are injured in the incident. Rs 5 lakh will be given to the family of those who have lost their lives. I have directed the concerned authorities to audit for all such hoardings in Mumbai,” Shinde told the media.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also said, “There will be an investigation regarding what kind of permission they have for this hoarding, whether they had this permission or not… The CM has directed that a proper audit of all the hoardings in Mumbai be done by BMC to mitigate such incidents in future. Whovever has done this kind of ignorance, strict action will be taken against them.”
On Monday, a BMC official informed CNBC-TV18 that the hoarding was illegal and said that its placement on railway land was done without proper authorisation.
The BMC also said that it will file an FIR against the Central Railways as well as the advertising agencies responsible for the illegal hoarding, under the provisions of Disaster Management Act, CNBC-TV18 reported.
The ad agencies identified include Pacific Digital and Minimax Ads. The hoarding was erected by Ego Media, the parent company.
The Central Railways has refuted the allegations, claiming that the hoarding was not on its land.
The notice says that a complaint was filed earlier on April 29 regarding the same hoarding that is erected near Ghatkopar’s Ramabai Nagar Petrol Pump. The notice stated that the ad agency will be fined ₹6.13 crore which needs to be paid by May 23 along with taking down the remaining illegal hoardings in the area.
#FreeOurSkylines – Fight against illegal ad hoardings: A terrible tragedy struck on May 13 after a 100-foot-tall illegal billboard fell at a petrol pump in Ghatkopar during dust storms and unseasonal rains in Mumbai. The killer hoarding caused the deaths of over a dozen people and injured many others. The catastrophic incident outraged citizens who have been dealing with the menace of illegal ad hoardings. The people don’t want just answers but solutions, as they turn to civic authorities, advertising agencies, industry bodies, brand marketers, and media owners, to take responsibility and fight against the menace of illegal advertising hoardings. So speak up and join the #FreeOurSkylines movement. Write to us at Storyboard18@nw18.com with your concerns and views, and let’s make our cities safer together.