Bombay High Court to hear petition today!
In an interesting hearing in the Bombay High Court, the court will today hear a petition against illegal hoardings in the city. According to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Dr. Anahita Pundole, it has raised the issue of hoardings that had come up in violation of rules-on heritage buildings and precincts, compulsory open spaces, footpaths and coastal regulation zone I areas.
If the suggestions made by Pundole’s legal team is accepted, the rules that would have to be followed are: No hoardings on heritage buildings or heritage precincts, no hoardings would be allowed in CRZ I and no-development zone of CRZ III, no illegal hacking of trees to improve the visibility of hoardings, no illuminated hoarding within the cone of vision of the driver, no hoarding at intersection within a distance of 25 m from the stop-line of each approach road, no hoarding in a compulsory open space, no glow signs permitted around traffic islands and signal junctions within 25 m radius and the maximum height of a hoarding not to exceed 18 m from the ground and 12.2 m from the terrace level.
Interestingly, during the last hearing, BMC informed the court that it earns over Rs.80 crores from hoardings in Mumbai after a division bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah had asked the corporation as to how much revenue come in from issuing licences to hoardings.
On the other hand, senior counsel Iqbal Chhagla had submitted a proposal to make the BMC superintendent of licenses liable for illegal hoardings in the city.
“Every licence renewed every two years should have an endorsement by the superintendent of licences that the permission was granted in accordance with rules.
This would ensure that it would be the officer’s responsibility to ensure that every hoarding is legal and no approval is given for unauthorised hoardings.”
The high court has asked the BMC to file its affidavit in response to the proposal by today (July 16).
Suggestions by Pundole’s legal team…
- No hoardings on heritage buildings or heritage precincts.
- No hoardings would be allowed in CRZ I and no-development zone of CRZ III. No illegal hacking of trees to improve the visibility of hoardings.
- No illuminated hoarding within the cone of vision of the driver.
- No hoarding at intersection within a distance of 25 m from the stop-line of each approach road, no hoarding in a compulsory open space.
- No glow signs permitted around traffic islands and signal junctions within 25 m radius and the maximum height of a hoarding not to exceed 18 m from the ground and 12.2 m from the terrace level.