PCMC Ramps Up Safety Measures: Orders Structural Audit of 1,200 Iron Hoardings
Reported by Varad Bhatkhande
Pimpri Chinchwad, 15th May 2024: In Pimpri Chinchwad city, there are 1,200 authorized iron hoardings. The Deputy Commissioner of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) Skysign and License Department has informed that following the hoarding accidents in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar and by orders from the Pune District Collector’s office, a structural audit of all these iron billboards will be conducted within the next 15 days.
PCMC grants permission to erect iron hoardings on either PCMC-owned or private land. This is the primary source of income for the Skysign and License Department of PCMC. Previously, advertisers often erected unauthorized hoardings, resulting in reduced income for PCMC.
Furthermore, even after obtaining licenses for hoardings, fees often remained unpaid, and PCMC turned a blind eye to this issue. However, following the incident in Kiwale on 17th April 2023, where five people died and several others were injured due to an unauthorized hoarding collapsing in the rain, PCMC faced a reality check. Due to this, PCMC took action against more than 100 unauthorized hoardings, and the process of license renewal was halted.
Hoarding holders and managers were convened for a meeting, followed by a structural audit and subsequent certification. As of 31st March 2024, Pimpri Chinchwad had 135 unauthorized hoardings. The Skysign and License Department granted permission for 60 of them, bringing the total number of hoardings in Pimpri Chinchwad to 1,196.
In the segment from Nigdi to Dapodi on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, there are 35 hoardings on both sides. This stretch experiences heavy traffic flow as it passes through key areas such as Nashik Phata, Pimpri, Chinchwad, Akurdi, etc. Hence, it is imperative to remove hazardous iron hoardings, conduct structural audits, and ensure safety measures are in place to prevent accidents on this route.
Last month, PCMC emphasized that hoarding holders must ensure the structural integrity of all hoardings. They must withstand rain, strong winds, or storms without collapsing, and there should be no loss of life. In the event of such incidents, hoarding holders will be held accountable.
PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh informed Punekar News, “The orders for the structural audit of hoardings did come from the district collector’s office. However, we have been in action mode since last year following the Kiwale incident. We took action against over 190 hoardings last year for lacking proper structural audits or licenses. Even in this fiscal year, we’ve taken action against more than 10. In light of the Mumbai incident and the collector’s office directive, we will revert them. Those failing to present proper licenses or structural audits will face demolition of their hoardings, and cases will be filed against them at police stations.”
