MUMBAI: Days after BMC published its draft policy on the city's outdoor advertisement, south Mumbai residents have launched an online petition urging it to abandon plans to allow any hoarding that will face the coastal road. The campaign has received nearly 5,000 signatures.
"[Installation of hoardings] would not only spoil the aesthetics but also potentially distract drivers, leading to an increase in accidents along this buzzing thoroughfare. Additionally, such hoardings would have an environmentally harmful knock-on effect-from manufacturing to disposal. The coastal road, our latest shared heritage, is meant to be a beloved sight for residents and tourists alike for decades. It is not designed to be shrouded by commercial hoardings and should not be co-opted for such purposes," stated the petition launched by Rajesh Dahiya, member of the Breach Candy Residents Forum and chairman of a housing society. It has received support from residents of Breach Candy, Worli and Nepeansea Road.
Dahiya said locals have enjoyed an unobstructed view of the sea long before the coastal road was even conceived. According to him, allowing these hoardings will set a precedent that will "turn the scenic landscape into another Western Express Highway".
BMC, however, said no hoarding has been proposed along the reclaimed land. Officials said four hoardings were approved on the erstwhile Tata Garden land, but with the land falling in coastal regulation zone-2, the company that bagged the 10-year contract is now awaiting permission from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has demanded the scrapping of the contract.
Nandini Chabria, another forum member, said it doesn't matter to the residents if the hoardings are not on reclaimed land. "We don't want hoardings anywhere along our locality." Residents said they plan to meet the authorities.
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Read MoreRicha Pinto is a special correspondent with The Times of India. She covers urban governance & climate change issues. With over a decade of experience in field reporting, she has written extensively on various civic issues affecting Mumbaikars. She graduated in -journalism from the prestigious Mumbai-based St Xavier's College and later pursued a three-year Law degree (L.L.B.) with the University of Mumbai. She regularly tweets about all things that matter to Mumbai on-- @richapintoi.
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