Post Mumbai Billboard Tragedy, Government authorities jump into action

On May 13, 2024, following thunderstorms and gusty winds, a 14,400-square-foot billboard collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area, causing 16 deaths and 74 injuries, thereby raising concerns about the OOH industry and many civic bodies in India.

The matter in Mumbai is still being inspected, with the CM, Eknath Shinde, pledging to conduct a structural evaluation of all billboards in the city and remove any illegal or hazardous ones, while also providing Rs 5 lakh in aid to each family hoarding collapse victims.

However, after this specific incident, the local governments of several other cities have started examining, evaluating, and changing the numerous OOH installations in their respective areas.

Delhi (The Municipal Corporation of Delhi— MCD)

The national capital's Municipal Corporation (MCD) has ordered an audit of the structural safety of hoardings, unipoles, and other advertisement structures in the capital. Contractors and operators managing outdoor billboards are required to submit a compliance report by May 17, 2024.

Although the MCD claims that there are no illegal unipoles in Delhi and those wall wrap advertisements, which have a permitted size of 50 sq m, pose no risk to people or properties, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Raipur (The Raipur Municipal Corporation—RMC)

The capital city of  Chhattisgarh's Municipal Corporation (RMC) has ordered all advertising agencies to submit a structural report of their hoardings in the Chhattisgarh capital, as reported by Lokmat Times. RMC Commissioner Abinash Mishra chaired a meeting with directors of over 90 advertising agencies, urging them to prevent similar incidents in Raipur.

The RMC will require a certificate related to the structural probe to be submitted to the town and country planning department. Mishra also instructed that no untoward incidents should occur due to hoardings and all necessary measures should be taken to prevent billboards from falling. The meeting also discussed the effective implementation of the advertisement policy within the RMC's jurisdiction.

Mumbai (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation—BMC)

Following the mishap in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been tasked with removing 99 of the 179 billboards on central and western railway land in the city, which are oversized.

The BMC has issued notices to the railways to remove all the oversized billboards, many in Bandra, Dadar, and western suburbs. The BMC has also started the demolition process for the remaining three hoardings on the GRP's land. Also, several other complaints have been made on social media about the oversized hoardings.