BMC ‘hoarding' at city's cost

Critics of the visual clutter, caused by advertisement hoardings enveloping the city’s architecture, have found a new ally. Expressing acute discontent over the BMC’s inability to control the mushrooming of hoardings, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar on Thursday said, “You (BMC) have no right to make such a mess.”

Hearing a PIL against illegal hoardings, filed in 2002 by gynaecologist Anahita Pandole, a Bench comprising CJ Kumar and Justice JP Devadhar lamented, “We have beautiful heritage buildings, and you ruin then by putting up these hoardings to earn a few thousand rupees.”

CJ Kumar said that it was sad to see the number of hoardings increasing by the day, abutting major roads and posing a traffic hazards. “Neon lights are injurious to the eyes and traffic,” CJ Kumar said.

CJ Kumar’s observations were backed by his experience of having dealt in great detail with the issue of hoardings in urban areas. On March 26, 2007, CJ Kumar had, while sitting on a Delhi High Court Bench with Justice HR Malhotra, banned hoardings along the Capital’s roads, stating that they distracted drivers and obstructed the flow of traffic. Five days later, he was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Bombay HC. 

CJ Kumar cited the example of Chandigarh, where hoardings are not permitted on roads. He said that the municipal corporation in Chandigarh had found other means to generate revenue. “I am sure that BMC, too, can find other ways of earning money.” Lashing out at BMC over the mobile trucks that ferry advertisement hoardings, blocking traffic, CJ Kumar said, “Show us a provision that lets these trucks stand on the roads for hours.”

Advocate Preeti Purandare, arguing for BMC, told the court that hoardings from heritage precincts had been removed. However, CJ Kumar said that he had been hearing the case over the past six months. “Have you demolished any hoarding in the past six months?” he asked irately.

Arguing for the petitioner, senior counsel Iqbal Chagla told the court that as per BMC guidelines, neon hoardings were not permitted after 10 pm. But, in spite of it, hoardings in the city glow through the night.

Peeved by the existing power shortage, CJ Kumar directed power suppliers BSES and Reliance Energy to be made parties in the PIL, and sought to know the rate at which power is being supplied for these hoardings.