The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has lifted its ban on Puja hoardings and banners along EM Bypass, allowing committees and clubs to install festive advertisements again after obtaining municipal permission. The decision reverses last year’s restriction on such displays along one of Kolkata’s busiest road corridors and comes after safety concerns intensified following the collapse of a large hoarding in 2024.
An order issued by KMC commissioner Smita Pandey allows hoardings, banners and flex advertisements to be displayed along EM Bypass by Puja committees and clubs, subject to permission from the civic body. The order also lays down safety rules for the displays, according to a report by Telegraph India. The supplied report does not provide the complete text of those conditions or specify the approval timeline.
The reversal follows a ban introduced after a 30-foot hoarding near Captain Bheri, close to Metropolitan Crossing, collapsed in October 2024. The incident brought traffic on the EM Bypass to a halt for almost an hour, highlighting the risks posed by large temporary structures along a high-volume arterial road.
EM Bypass is an important north-south transport corridor in eastern Kolkata, carrying private vehicles, buses and other traffic between several major residential, commercial and institutional areas. Hoardings placed along the road can affect visibility, roadside access and the movement of vehicles if they are poorly located, inadequately secured or damaged by weather conditions.
The KMC’s latest order places the responsibility for obtaining permission on Puja committees and clubs seeking to display advertisements. The decision therefore restores a permitted route for festive publicity while retaining a municipal approval requirement. The report does not state whether the civic body will impose limits on the size, structural design, placement or duration of the hoardings beyond the reference to safety rules.
The 2024 collapse had prompted concerns over the consequences of permitting large banners and hoardings along the bypass. The disruption also showed how a failure involving a temporary advertising structure can quickly become a transport problem when it occurs beside a major urban road. Clearing the structure and restoring traffic movement can affect commuters well beyond the immediate site.
KMC’s decision places implementation at the centre of the issue. Puja committees and clubs will need to secure permission before installing the displays, while the civic administration will be responsible for processing applications and enforcing the conditions attached to approvals. The supplied report does not identify the civic department that will inspect the structures or state whether additional monitoring arrangements have been announced.
The immediate next step is for Puja committees and clubs along EM Bypass to seek permission under the commissioner’s order. Further details of the safety conditions and the municipal process will determine how the restored permission is applied during the festive season.
