The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority has completed an artificial intelligence-based survey of hoardings across all nine talukas under its jurisdiction, in a move aimed at identifying unauthorised advertising structures and initiating enforcement action.
The survey data is now being scrutinised alongside records available online to distinguish authorised hoardings from illegal structures, K. Manjulakshmi, additional commissioner of PMRDA, said. The authority has not yet disclosed the number of hoardings identified as unauthorised or the timeline for removals.
“An AI-based survey of hoardings has been conducted in every village across the PMRDA region. We are scrutinising the data collected through the survey alongside records available online. Further action will be taken based on the findings,” Manjulakshmi said, according to Punekar News.
The technology-led exercise covers the PMRDA region, which includes villages spread across nine talukas. The authority said rapid urbanisation has contributed to the growth of unauthorised constructions, advertising hoardings and road encroachments. Thousands of hoardings have been erected across the region, with new structures continuing to appear.
PMRDA’s unauthorised construction department has faced a shortage of staff, making it difficult to inspect hoardings in every village and monitor them regularly. The new hoarding detection system is intended to compile information on advertising structures and support more regular monitoring across the authority’s jurisdiction.
The authority is also planning to establish a dedicated team to remove illegal constructions, hoardings and road encroachments. The proposed team would work alongside the information generated through the survey, although PMRDA has not provided details about its staffing, powers or operational schedule.
Separately, PMRDA has moved its hoarding approval process online. Applicants will be able to access the required information digitally, while the authority plans to create a dedicated department to manage approvals and reduce human intervention. The online process is intended to reduce the number of visits applicants must make to PMRDA offices.
The immediate next step is the scrutiny of the AI-generated survey data against online records. PMRDA said further action on potentially unauthorised hoardings would be taken after this review is completed.
