Mira Bhayandar has seen widespread unauthorised advertising at Ganeshotsav mandaps and public places despite a municipal order banning such displays, according to a report by Loksatta. The report states that the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has not taken visible action against the violations after the festival began.
Ganeshotsav is observed across the city through household celebrations and public mandals. Mira Bhayandar has nearly 300 public Ganesh mandals, making the festival a significant civic and public-space management exercise for the municipal administration and the police.
Ahead of the festival, the municipal administration and police held a meeting with office-bearers of Ganesh mandals to discuss arrangements and compliance with civic instructions. The meeting was organised on the initiative of Mayor Dimple Mehta, according to the report.
At the meeting, the municipal corporation instructed the mandals not to put up unauthorised advertisements during Ganeshotsav. The administration also warned that legal action would be taken against those violating the rules. The restriction applied despite requests from the coordination committee of public Ganesh mandals for some relaxation in advertising rules during the festival.
The committee’s request was rejected by the administration. The decision meant that mandals were expected to follow the existing restrictions while conducting public celebrations. The civic order was intended to regulate advertising in public spaces during a period when temporary structures, decorations and large gatherings increase across the city.
However, Loksatta reported that unauthorised advertising subsequently appeared on a large scale in Mira Bhayandar. The report also said that municipal officials had not taken action even though the administration had earlier issued the prohibition and warned of legal consequences. The report did not provide details of the number of banners, the locations involved, penalties imposed or the municipal departments responsible for enforcement.
The reported situation highlights the gap that can emerge between pre-festival instructions and enforcement on the ground. In this case, the administration had communicated the rule through a meeting with mandal representatives and had refused a request for a temporary relaxation. The immediate issue is therefore not the absence of a stated regulation, but the reported lack of enforcement after the festival began.
The available report does not include a fresh response from the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation on the alleged violations or explain whether notices, removals or other legal measures were subsequently initiated. The next official action will determine whether the civic administration enforces the order it issued before Ganeshotsav.
