Mumbai’s Hoarding Policy Still in Limbo
• One Year, No Action: Ghatkopar Tragedy Ignored
• 60 Illegal Hoardings, 17 Firms, Zero Accountability
• BMC Delays, Public Safety Pays
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News Exclusive
Contact: +91 9322755098
A year after the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, BMC’s promised safety policy remains unimplemented. Meanwhile, BJP’s Kirit Somaiya exposed 60 illegal hoardings on MHADA land linked to 17 firms. Sprouts News Special Investigation Team reveals administrative inaction, raising serious concerns over public safety and the unchecked hoarding mafia in Mumbai.
One year since the deadly Ghatkopar hoarding collapse on May 13, 2024—which killed 17 people and injured over 80—Mumbai’s civic administration continues to delay critical safety reforms. In the immediate aftermath, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced a new hoarding policy to regulate installations, including digital billboards, size limits, and structural norms. While the policy draft was prepared and finalized by August 2024, it remains unapproved and unenforced.
The city’s current hoarding regulations were last updated in 2008 and have since grown obsolete in the face of increasing urban density and commercial advertising pressures. Despite judicial orders to reform hoarding guidelines, BMC’s attempts in 2019 were stalled by state-level revisions and later, the pandemic. This policy inertia is now being questioned by both civic bodies and the public.
Delayed Reforms After Ghatkopar Accident Raise Governance Concerns: Mumbai hoarding policy, BMC hoarding rules, Ghatkopar hoarding accident
In response to the Ghatkopar incident, BMC constituted a special committee chaired by the Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) to prepare a revised policy framework. The committee proposed critical measures, such as defining minimum distance between hoardings and size restrictions. Citizens were invited to submit feedback, and a finalized draft was completed nine months ago. Yet, the Municipal Commissioner has yet to sign off on the policy, leaving public safety regulations in limbo.
Sprouts News Special Investigation Team made multiple efforts to reach out to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and Deputy Commissioner Chanda Jadhav for clarity, but both officials remained unavailable for comment. The administrative silence has only amplified concerns over the BMC’s commitment to its promises of transparency and accountability.
Policy Paralysis Fuels Public Criticism Amid Advertising Revenue Tussle: hoarding safety Mumbai, BMC accountability, Mumbai advertising policy
Political leaders and civic watchdogs have condemned the BMC’s failure to act decisively. BJP Mumbai Vice President Ravi Raja questioned the delay, citing that despite collecting public suggestions, no enforcement has followed. Godfrey Pimenta of Watchdog Foundation, who provided written recommendations on hoarding spacing and dimensions, expressed frustration at the administration’s inaction.
Complicating matters further, BMC is demanding a 50% revenue share from hoardings placed on lands owned by other government bodies such as MHADA, MMRDA, MSRDC, and PWD. These authorities have resisted the demand, contributing to a prolonged stalemate.
Sprouts News Special Investigation Team has repeatedly highlighted these systemic failures in urban governance. With Mumbai’s skyline increasingly dominated by commercial hoardings, the need for strict enforcement of safety standards and inter-agency cooperation is more urgent than ever.
MHADA Hoarding Scam: 60 Illegal Billboards, 16 Firms Under Police Scanner: illegal hoardings Mumbai, MHADA land misuse, hoarding scam Maharashtra
In a significant development, BJP leader Dr. Kirit Somaiya filed a police complaint on June 3, 2024, at Kherwadi Police Station, targeting Mumbai MHADA, 16 advertising companies, and civic officials for enabling the installation of 60 illegal hoardings on MHADA-owned land. MHADA has officially acknowledged that of the 62 hoardings on its land, 60 are unauthorized.
The 16 advertising firms named in the complaint are:
1.Symbiosis Advertising
2.In & Out Advertising
3.Alakh Advertising
4.San Ads
5.San-Ada Communication Pvt. Ltd.
6.Global Advertising
7.R.D. Advertising
8.MS Vantage Advertising Ltd.
9.Zen Digital Media LLP
10.Venus Advertising
11.M/s Silver Link
12.S.S. Enterprises
13.Gold Line Advertisers
14.Sinka Advertising
15.Prime Publicity
16. MS Vantage Advertising LTD.
Somaiya met MHADA officials to demand immediate action and has urged the BMC to take coordinated measures. MHADA has agreed to serve notices to the companies and initiate legal proceedings. According to Dr. Somaiya, this case reflects a much deeper problem, with approximately 4,000 illegal hoardings across lands owned by the state government, BMC, MMRDA, MSRDC, and PWD.
Also Read: RBI imposes penalties of ₹1.72 Cr on SBI & Jana Small Finance Bank Over Customer Safety Lapses.
Corruption Allegations Deepen in Hoarding Mafia Nexus: hoarding mafia Mumbai, Sprouts News investigation, MHADA illegal hoardings
Sprouts News Team also alleged that prior complaints were buried without action due to suspected financial settlements between officials and ad firms. Despite multiple follow-ups and formal letters, enforcement agencies failed to act, emboldening what he termed the “hoarding mafia.”
Sprouts News Special Investigation Team has obtained documents showing a pattern of willful neglect by regulatory agencies. Stakeholders now demand an independent probe into administrative complicity. Without urgent reform, experts warn that the risk of another Ghatkopar-like tragedy remains very real.
As illegal hoardings continue to mushroom across the cityscape, the failure to regulate this sector signals a larger collapse in urban policy enforcement—one that Mumbai can no longer afford to ignore.
