Mumbai’s digital outdoor ads clutter: Activists, stakeholders raise concerns

Multiple citizen groups have raised their objection regarding the clutter on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai. The busy junctions from Dadar to Andheri are flooded with Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) billboards. Mumbai traffic police have already stopped issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) until Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) implements its hoarding policy.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) considered the wealthiest civic body in India, says that Mumbai, the country's financial hub, has only 1,025 legally authorized hoardings throughout the city. The BMC generates a substantial revenue of approximately Rs 100 crore from the licensing fees associated with these hoardings.

The BMC is the nodal agency that establishes contracts with advertising companies to erect their hoardings.

Seventeen persons, including a former general manager of the Mumbai airport's Air Traffic Control and his wife, died after the billboard crashed onto a petrol pump in Ghatkopar on May 13 during sudden dusty winds and unseasonal rains.

Recently, Bombay High Court in its judgement directed the Zilla Parishads to instruct Gram Panchayats prohibiting them from providing any licences towards erecting billboards.

Sumaira Abdulali, an activist from Mumbai said, "Today, Western Express Highway and almost around Mumbai is cluttered with digital hoardings. The OOH mafia has led to multiple accidents on the WEH and EEH."

"We wrote to BMC to not allow video or moving graphics along the highways. Light pollution is a major concern not only on highways but across Mumbai," said, Abdulali

Storyboard18 spoke to a senior police officer from Mumbai Traffic Police department regarding the permissions around OOH in Mumbai, the officer said, "We cannot give permissions for OOH until BMC comes up with its policy. We will soon conduct a survey to ascertain if any DOOH is causing any distraction to motorists."

Praveen Vadhera, CEO, IOAA said, "Giving mass approvals for DOOH along WEH was a mistake, instead it should have been strategically allocated. The major concern is the small kiosks which which distracts motorists."

Another leading media owner on condition of anonymity said, "Because of the media clutter on WEH, price of the media has gone down, moreover it has also affected brands leading to lack of media attention. BMC's boarding policy is much awaited due to the clarity the media owners will receive."

The growing clutter of digital and static billboards along Mumbai’s Western Express Highway has sparked significant concerns among citizens, activists, and authorities. Activists emphasize the urgency of addressing light pollution and unsafe billboard placements.