The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has directed Ganpati and Navratri mandals, advertisers and other stakeholders not to place advertisements on Mumbai roads and footpaths in ways that obstruct pedestrians or disrupt vehicular movement during the festivals.
BMC commissioner Ashwini Bhide issued the instruction as thousands of devotees are expected to take to the streets during Ganeshotsav, which begins Monday. The civic administration has asked mandals to follow its rules for commercial advertising and ensure that festival installations do not reduce the space available for people walking or vehicles moving along city roads.
The directive is part of the BMC’s ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign, under which the civic body is introducing measures to improve pedestrian movement across Mumbai in phases. During the first phase, the administration has identified a dedicated number of footpaths that ward-level officials must monitor and keep free of encroachments.
Under the advertising rules, commercial displays by donors may be placed on the left and right vertical portions of a traditional mandal entrance gate. The upper horizontal portion of the gate may carry a message welcoming devotees. Mandals have also been allowed to install digital screens measuring up to 10ft by 10ft for public-interest and health messages, along with commercial advertisements.
The installation of digital screens will require no-objection certificates from both the traffic police department and the local police station. The BMC has also instructed mandals to avoid advertisements for gutka, tobacco products and other prohibited products.
Ward-level officials and the BMC licensing department have been directed to check compliance and remove advertisement boards that obstruct pedestrian movement. The rules will remain applicable during the festivals and after immersion, extending the civic body’s oversight beyond the main period of public celebrations.
Mandals have been asked to remove advertisement boards themselves by the day after immersion. The BMC has appealed to organisers to conduct commercial advertising in a disciplined manner while preserving the religious and social character of the celebrations.
The instructions place responsibility on both festival organisers and civic officials: mandals must follow the permitted advertising formats and obtain clearances for digital screens, while ward administrations and the licensing department must identify and remove violations during the festival period.
