Pune: Pimpri-Chinchwad Cuts Hoarding Ad Ban to 14 Days Amid Safety Concerns Over Monsoon Winds
Pimpri-Chinchwad, 10th May 2025: In a significant update to its earlier directive, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has reduced the period during which all city hoardings must remain advertisement-free from two months to just 14 days. The revised order, aimed at preventing hoarding collapses during the hazardous pre-monsoon season, now mandates that all hoardings in the city will remain empty only from 25th May to 7th June.
The decision comes after a series of meetings between PCMC officials and hoarding owners, following initial plans to keep all hoardings ad-free from 15th April to 15th June 15 due to the risk of strong winds and unseasonal rain causing structural failures. Previous years have seen deadly accidents, including the collapse of a hoarding in Kiwale in April 2023 that killed five people, and another in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar in May 2024 that resulted in 17 deaths. These incidents prompted the civic body to adopt stricter safety measures, including the temporary removal of all advertisements from hoardings during the high-risk period.
However, hoarding owners raised concerns about significant revenue losses during the two-month ban, arguing that this period typically brings in substantial advertising income. Responding to these concerns, PCMC officials agreed to shorten the restriction to a two-week window. “Such an initiative is being implemented for the first time with an aim to avoid any untoward incident in the city due to hoarding collapse,” said Pradip Thengal, Deputy Municipal Commissioner and head of PCMC’s Sky Sign and License Department. He emphasized that public safety remains the administration’s top priority.
Despite the initial consensus, many hoardings continued to display advertisements for real estate projects, political leaders, and local events, prompting further discussions and the eventual compromise. The final agreement now requires all hoardings in Pimpri-Chinchwad to remain vacant only from 25th May to 7th June, allowing time for structural inspections and repairs before the onset of the monsoon.
The PCMC’s revised directive is part of a broader crackdown on illegal and unsafe hoardings across the city, with thousands of unauthorized structures already removed and heavy fines imposed on violators.
