The Pune Municipal Corporation is facing a 48-hour demand to remove illegal Ganeshotsav banners, posters, pandals, welcome arches and other advertising material remaining on city roads after the festival, amid complaints of traffic disruption, public-space defacement and continuing civic nuisance.
Creative Foundation, a Pune civic organisation, made the demand in a letter to the PMC, saying promotional material installed during Ganeshotsav continues to occupy public spaces across the city. The group said some banners and posters had been placed near traffic signals, while several structures were erected precariously and were creating difficulties for commuters.
“Some of these materials put up near traffic signals, several of them set up rather precariously, are creating a major nuisance for commuters,” said Sandip Khardekar, president of Creative Foundation.
The organisation also called for the removal of road-blocking pandals, procession floats, tractors, trolleys, carts, welcome arches and greeting stages. According to the group, these structures can remain on streets for days after festival activities have ended, extending their impact on traffic movement and the use of public roads.
The complaints come as residents have also raised concerns over waste management, noise pollution and other disruptions associated with prolonged immersion processions. Shyamala Desai, a resident, said elected representatives should be held accountable for the conduct of Ganapati mandals in their areas.
“The responsibility for the actions of these Ganapati mandals should rest with the local MPs and MLAs. If people refuse to listen to you while you serve as the elected representative, it clearly means you carry no authority over them. The elected representatives must be held accountable for all of this,” Desai said.
PMC officials said the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, 1995, provides the legal basis for punitive action against individuals or entities responsible for defacing public property. A senior PMC official said legal action was actively being initiated against those responsible for installing illegal promotional material.
The law cited by the civic body places the issue beyond routine post-festival cleaning. Banners, posters and temporary structures on roads and other public assets can affect traffic visibility, pedestrian movement and access to public spaces, while enforcement also requires authorities to identify the parties responsible for putting them up.
The immediate demand before the PMC is to clear the remaining material from city roads within 48 hours. The civic body’s stated next step is legal action against those responsible for illegal promotional installations, while residents continue to seek action on associated waste, noise and traffic problems.
