No more hoardings on building terraces, compound walls, and the maximum size of hoardings to be limited to 40 feet by 40 feet are some of the recommendations suggested by a high-level committee that was set up following the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse last year, the officials said.
The incident had lead to the death of 17 people and injuring nearly 75 others amid heavy rain and strong winds.
In all around 21 important recommendations have been made by the committee formed after May 2024, when a hoarding allegedly installed without proper approvals and beyond the permissible height limits collapsed, officials said.
The report of the committee, headed by former Justice Dilip Bhosale, was accepted by the state cabinet in its meeting held at Mantralaya on Tuesday.
“Administration has been asked to start implementing the recommendations within a month,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
Following the collapse of a billboard in Ghatkopar (eastern suburbs of Mumbai), the state government had ordered a probe and appointed a committee to recommend measures to prevent such mishaps in future. The huge hoarding had crashed onto a petrol pump during heavy rains in May 2024.
Accordingly, the committee has given 21-point suggestions to avoid such incidents. “Besides locations and size, the committee has emphasised strict checks on traffic safety and pedestrian convenience,” the report mentions.
The committee has also recommended regular inspections of hoarding sites and verification of permission documents.
“Strict action should be taken against unauthorised hoardings,” the report added.
