Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday resumed the drive to remove illegal hoardings across the city, setting a target to remove over 200 unauthorised structures from public places by the end of June, officials said.The drive began with the removal of two large hoardings from Rasulgarh and Cuttack Road following complaints over safety risks and violation of civic norms. Officials said the exercise will be intensified in the coming weeks, with a focus on arterial roads.To expedite the operation, the BMC has empanelled three specialised agencies to cut and dismantle illegal hoardings mounted on the road dividers, footpaths and other public properties.“The agencies will assist our enforcement teams in removing hoardings that do not have approval or violate size, location or structural safety norms. The identification of hoardings is completed and those will be removed in phases,” a BMC official said.The enforcement comes in the backdrop of growing safety concerns over oversized and poorly maintained hoardings, especially after a fatal incident in Aiginia in Feb this year, where a man was killed after a large display hoarding collapsed during gusty winds.Civic officials said many hoardings came up without proper permission or structural certification, posing risks to commuters, pedestrians and nearby shops, particularly during the pre-monsoon season marked by sudden squally winds.“Our priority is to ensure public safety. Illegal hoardings will not be allowed to remain, irrespective of who owns them. We have been periodically removing these hoardings and now the drive will be intensified,” city mayor Sulochana Das said.The civic body has warned advertisers and property owners to remove unauthorised hoardings voluntarily, failing which enforcement action, including penalties and also legal proceedings, will be initiated.Officials said the BMC plans to complete the current phase of the drive before the onset of the monsoon, when strong winds and heavy rainfall increase the risk of hoarding collapses.
