HOARDING TROUBLE MARS CITY SKYLINE
Giant cutouts of politicians blocking traffic signals, and bizarre birthday banners for pets on streetlights are a common sight now; illegal hoardings have robbed Indian cities of their beautiful skylines
For millions of tax-paying Indians, it is a daily plight to watch a wall of ugly illegal hoardings in plain sight. Most of these flex board banners and gigantic hoardings are of politicians across party lines — blocking traffic signals, making footpaths inaccessible, and dangling precariously from streetlights, trees, buildings, school and hospital compounds. Nobody is spared from this eyesore.
But why should politicians and stars have all the fun in the public sphere? Now they have the illustrious company of dogs and cats. Pet owners are putting up banners wishing their beloved four-legged pals a “Happy Birthday”. There are banners of pet owners (aka dog parents) displaying pictures of their dogs in royal regalia and sunglasses. These banners are illegal, but they have created a storm on social media. Netizens across the world are having a hearty laugh and coming up with witty one-liners.
Rishi Aggarwal of Walking Project, who aims to make Mumbai the friendliest city to walk, has repeatedly complained about illegal hoardings installed at low heights near pedestrian crossings and road junctions. “People have to bend down and walk or risk getting injured,” he says. Vijay Gopal, a Hyderabad-based advocate and an anti-corruption activist says, “Political parties have set up wrong examples for citizens to put up such pesky displays of hoardings and banners. Even a girl hitting puberty is put up on a hoarding and celebrated even though it’s a clear breach of privacy. The banners have relatively gone down in Hyderabad. However, illegal hoardings are legitimised to make it look authorised.”
AN UGLY EYESORE
Apart from being an eyesore, hoardings are a safety hazard. There have been several instances in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Uttar Pradesh of people getting injured due to illegal hoardings and flex banners. Last year, five people died in Pune's Kiwale area, after a scaffolding supporting an illegal hoarding caved in on them. The victims were seeking shelter from rain and strong winds.
At a deeper level, illegal hoardings expose the sycophancy culture in Indian politics and the lackadaisical attitude of civic officials. They are too scared to pull down these hoardings fearing a backlash or inviting the wrath of powerful politicians and their party workers. Despite regulations laid out by municipal corporations across India, illegal hoardings continue to mar our city skylines.
COURTING TROUBLE
The High Courts across India have repeatedly reprimanded civic authorities for failing to curb illegal hoardings. In February 2024, the Bombay High Court said, “No political party, religious organisation or commercial organisation can be legally permitted to put up hoardings on street lights, roads, or footpaths for their personal gains.” Last month, senior advocate Anil Sakhare on behalf of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) submitted an affidavit in the High Court (HC), stating that the BMC has been regularly removing illegal banners and hoardings. Between
and December 31, 2023, n on approximately cal banners, 4,551 comnners, and 32,481 reliers was provided to ns through 410 letters. FIRS had also been rege HC remarked: “It is mprehension as to how f people can take liberup banners on street falls upon us to appeal al population and every nd group to come alive tion and not to indulge h activity that encourch illegality having the tential of causing harm, even physical harm to pedestrians and other users.”
The HC bench, comprising Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor, observed that political parties provide an undertaking not to display illegal hoardings, but are absent during the court proceedings.
MEN AT WREK
All authorised hoardings have a QR code that has details of the hoarding contract and the relevant civic authority. When contacted, RB Patankar, BMC License Inspector of D-ward, said, “Most of the illegal hoardings are usually erected after midnight. Our van removes them daily but it is an uphill task.” Another civic official said that often the police patrol vans in the night turn a blind eye to political party workers putting up illegal hoardings. Last month, the resident welfare associations (RWAS) of Sectors 69-70 in Gurugram gathered at Tulip Chowk and removed nearly 400 posters, banners, illegal hoardings, and advertisements installed in public places. This public showdown happened after the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) was notified several times of the illegal hoardings, but no action was taken. Pointing out the metro management displaying iron hoardings on the metro viaducts in Hyderabad, Vijay says. “This is against the law and railway safety protocols. It is prohibited by the concession agreement between the government and the Hyderabad Metro Rail. Such heavy hoardings spoil the aesthetics of the city and cause safety issues to the general public.”
The average cost of a hoarding ranges from Rs 25,000 to several lakhs of rupees depending on size. Hoardings are usually 40x40 feet, while banners are 10x12 feet. Sanjeev Gupta, owner of Global Advertisers, says, “The costs of hoardings depend on location and season. Locations like airports, railway stations, and market areas attract eyeballs, hence have more hoardings. Festivals, events, and elections are seasons that demand more displays.”
CODE OF CONDUCT
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections around the corner, the Election Commission of India recently rolled out the model code of conduct, barring display of political banners and hoardings. The EC states: “All wall writings, posters, papers, cut-outs, banners, flags or defacements in any other form, including cut-outs, hoardings, banners, among others, on government properties should be removed within 24 hours from the announcement of elections.”
Additionally, all ‘unauthorised political advertisement’ in similar forms on public properties and public spaces such as railway stations, bus stands, airports, railway bridges, roadways, government buses, electric or telephone poles, municipal and local bodies’ buildings, shall be removed within 48 hours of the announcement. Furthermore, any unauthorised political advertisement displayed on private properties shall be removed within 72 hours of the announcement of polls.