The Latur Municipal Corporation authorities removed two hoardings and 15 banners from the city after 15 cases pertaining to illegal hoardings were registered, including 11 on a single day. The action was taken against the backdrop of the collapse of an illegal ad hoarding in Mumbai on May 13, which claimed 17 lives and injured several others.
The Latur civic body had given a deadline till Sunday for the removal of illegal hoardings from the city; after the deadline ended, 11 cases related to illegal hoardings were registered, as per PTI. The corporation had initially instructed the respective agencies and property owners to remove the illegal hoardings, giving the deadline till Sunday.
During this period, some agencies and property owners removed illegal hoardings. But some illegal billboards still remained in the city, the release said. Taking strict action, the civic body on Monday removed two hoardings of 20 x 30 feet and 15 banners and cases were filed against violators.
The local governments of several other cities have also started examining, evaluating, and changing the numerous OOH installations in their respective areas. Following the mishap in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been tasked with removing 99 of the 179 billboards on central and western railway land in the city, which are oversized. Meanwhile, the national capital’s Municipal Corporation (MCD) has ordered an audit of the structural safety of hoardings, unipoles, and other advertisement structures in the capital. The capital city of Chhattisgarh’s Municipal Corporation (RMC) has ordered all advertising agencies to submit a structural report of their hoardings in the Chhattisgarh capital.
#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.
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