BMC gears up to pull down hoardings

With the Ganeshotsav ending on Thursday, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) licence department has braced up to pull down illegal hoardings defacing city streets that were put up during the 11-day festival. Teams of at least two license inspectors and 4-5 workers per ward have geared into action since Friday, to carry out a task that they do not do during the festival, to avoid conflict, a license official said.

Data of action taken by the license department against illegal hoardings, points at negligible action taken during the Ganesh festival. The department has compiled data up to September 10, which includes five days of the festival. During this time, the license department pulled down only eight illegal religious hoardings, 82 political hoardings, and 35 commercial hoardings. Officials have pointed out it has been impossible to take any action against illegal hoardings during the festival, even though illegalities are rampant.

A civic official from this department, on the condition of anonymity said, “We do not get police protection during this time as the police is understandably involved in maintaining law and order. And we cannot pull down any hoardings without police protection.”