Bandra (West) residents group oppose Maharashtra Maritime Board’s new advertising policy

Mumbai: Resident groups from Bandra (W) have opposed the Maharashtra Maritime Board's (MMB) new advertising policy that allows ads on hoardings, hot air balloons and flotels/barges along the coast. Residents have said none of the two promenades or beaches in Bandra and elsewhere in Mumbai under MMB can be venues to erect any sized hoardings. They pointed out that at presen, the BMC is the only authority that has a mature hoarding/ad policy in place that protects public open spaces with specific regulations and BMC must include all Mumbai's promenades or beaches as restricted zones in its hoarding policy.Last week, MMB notified new regulations for display of ads which include advertisements on hot air balloons and on barges along the coast or on land belonging to the MMC. It also allows advertisement on vessels/barges and floatels. The MMB notified these new rules under their Regulation of display of Advertisements Regulations, 2026. As per the notification, these regulations apply to the areas falling under the jurisdiction of the MMB. MMB has also notified regulations leasing of stalls and leasing of land for setting up of stalls on MMB land."Apparently, there has been no call for suggestions/objections from the citizens. The policy does not have any mention of the mandatory restricted/prohibited areas, the public beaches and promenades, where hoardings of any kind may not be erected like the BMC hoarding policy. If the BMC cannot impose its regulations on spaces not under their jurisdiction, we urge all the other authorities that are custodians of the promenades, beaches and other public open spaces under them, to adopt the BMC's hoarding policy to restrict hoardings on these spaces," the Bandra (W) Residents Association said in its letter to MMB's CEO, P Pradeep."There are many other methods of generating revenue to maintain these public open spaces, as demonstrated by our trust for the Carter road promenade since the inception of the promenade over the past two decades," the letter states. The letter is signed by Patricia Nath, who is the chairperson of the association, and trustees Hussainali Dholkawala, Naaznin Husein, Sahir Sekhon, Vaishali Shinde, Vidya Vaidya, Vivek Sundara and Zameer Palamkote. The residents have also called upon Bandra (W) BJP MLA and minister Ashish Shelar to intervene in the matter."For a long time there was no clear advertising policy in the MMB. With these new regulations for advertising and leasing of open space, MMB will be able to generate revenue in a fair and transparent manner. We are allowing advertising based on fair norms and for maximising revenue. The rates will be competitive and it will be a win-win for both MMB and advertisers. So far, MMB only issued NOCs for advertising, but now it will become a principal player in this field and also generate much needed revenue," said ports and fisheries minister Nitesh Rane.
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