Clear our cities of all hoarding muck

Billboards can be interesting, informative, even delightful. Think Times Square. Think Shanghai. In Indian cities, though, they can be a pestilence, especially during the festive season when whole cities seem covered pell-mell in product placement splatter. Sprout like weeds, many flout Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA) rules, which specify sizes, spacing, angles, heights, and safe distances from traffic signals. One fallout of this rule-bending was the accident in Mumbai's Ghatkopar in 2024, when a giant hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump, killing 17 people. A high-level committee has now found that approvals were granted without structural stability certificates, or proper tendering process. Why does that not surprise us?

Existing laws, like Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, remain toothless. Political interference, bureaucratic sloth and lack of accountability ensure illegal hoardings proliferate unchecked. Instead of turning a blind eye and putting public safety at risk, authorities must conduct regular removal drives, levy heavy penalties on advertisers and employ tech to monitor compliance. QR codes on legal hoardings can verify permits instantly, while drones and remote monitoring can track violations in real time.

Festival and election seasons exacerbate the problem. Aggrieved citizens have increasingly turned to courts, which have repeatedly demanded that illegal sky signs be removed and municipal bodies report action taken. These violations not only deface our cities but also expose municipal impotence. Illegal hoardings are more than a cosmetic nuisance - they are a public safety threat that choke traffic, endanger pedestrians and undermine emergency response. Viksit starts with what is visible.