The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) removed 40,172 unauthorised publicity materials across Mumbai between January and September 2026, highlighting the scale of illegal banners, hoardings, posters and flags across the city.
According to data from the civic body’s Licence Department, political publicity accounted for the largest share, with 19,409 removals, followed by 14,133 religious advertisements and 6,630 commercial materials. Together, political and religious publicity made up more than 83% of the total.
The action covered 28,352 banners, 8,458 hoardings, 2,058 posters and 998 flags during the nine-month period. The civic crackdown also resulted in 176 cases being filed and 277 complaints being submitted to the police, although only two of these complaints were formally registered.
February saw the highest number of removals at 6,145, followed by 5,741 in March and 5,550 in April. In September, the BMC removed 3,882 unauthorised publicity materials.
According to a civic official, “The drive targets festive publicity that remained on display even after permissions expired, along with unauthorised banners, hoardings, temporary entry gates, posters and flags erected without civic approval.”
The intensified enforcement comes amid Mayor Ritu Tawde’s “zero-tolerance” campaign against illegal outdoor publicity across Mumbai.
The BMC has also strengthened regulations following the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse, which claimed 17 lives. Its “Outdoor Advertisement Display” policy requires written permission for advertisements and aims to tighten oversight of hoardings.
The civic body typically removes around 15,000 to 20,000 illegal hoardings annually, with political and festive publicity accounting for nearly half of them. Such violations tend to increase during election and festival periods.
Unauthorised advertisements can attract action under Section 471 of the BMC Act, 1888, and the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995. Penalties include imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of Rs 2,000.
The latest figures underscore the continuing challenge of regulating Mumbai’s outdoor advertising and reducing unauthorised visual clutter across public spaces.
Source: The Free Press Journal
