Supreme Court Orders Mumbai Civic Body To Prevent Hoarding Accidents During Monsoon, Cites Ghatkopar Tragedy

The Supreme Court on Friday instructed Mumbai authorities to ensure no accidents occur related to hoardings, considering the onset of the monsoon season.

During the hearing, the court also cited the illegal hoarding incident in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar that collapsed last month, claiming 17 lives.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and PB Varale was hearing a case filed by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) regarding the application of certain provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act to hoardings on Railway land.

“In the meanwhile, all parties concerned, including the Railways, ensure that no untoward incident happens in connection with any hoardings, be it on Railway land or on […]. So whoever is in charge of whichever land, please see that nothing happens atleast within a week, now that the monsoons have arrived,” the order stated.

The court scheduled the next hearing for next week to allow the respondents to file a response, according to Live Law.

The case involves multiple writ petitions filed before the Bombay High Court by the Union of India (Railways) against MCGM and others. The Railways requested an order preventing municipal authorities from applying Sections 328 and 328A (or any other provisions) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act to hoardings on Railway land.

‘Hoarding installed on inadequate and weak foundation’: Report

On Thursday, a report submitted by a technological institute to the police revealed that the hoarding that collapsed in Mumbai last month, claiming 17 lives, was installed on a weak foundation.

While any hoarding structure in the city should ideally withstand wind speeds of 158 kilometres per hour, the billboard that collapsed in Ghatkopar could withstand a wind speed of only 49 kmph, according to the report submitted.

On the day of the incident, the wind speed was 87 kmph, an official said, adding, “The hoarding was installed on an inadequate and a weak foundation.”

Seventeen people died and 74 others were injured after the illegal hoarding, measuring 120 feet by 120 feet, crashed onto a nearby petrol pump during a dust storm and unseasonal rains on May 13.

Following the tragedy, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asked the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) to find out the reasons behind the hoarding crash.

(With inputs from PTI)