Mumbai: Resident groups from Bandra (West) have opposed the Maharashtra Maritime Board's (MMB) new advertising policy that permits advertisements on hoardings, hot air balloons, and flotels or barges along the coast. The residents have stated that none of the two promenades or beaches in Bandra and elsewhere in Mumbai under MMB jurisdiction should be venues for erecting hoardings of any size.
Residents Demand Strict Regulations
They pointed out that currently, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the only authority with a mature hoarding and advertising policy that protects public open spaces through specific regulations. The residents urged that the BMC must include all Mumbai's promenades and beaches as restricted zones in its hoarding policy.
Last week, the MMB notified new regulations for the display of advertisements, which include advertisements on hot air balloons and on barges along the coast or on land belonging to the MMB. It also allows advertisements on vessels, barges, and floatels. These rules were notified under the Regulation of Display of Advertisements Regulations, 2026. As per the notification, the regulations apply to areas under MMB jurisdiction. The MMB has also notified regulations for leasing of stalls and leasing of land for setting up stalls on MMB land.
Lack of Public Consultation
“Apparently, there has been no call for suggestions or objections from the citizens. The policy does not mention the mandatory restricted or prohibited areas, such as public beaches and promenades, where hoardings of any kind should not be erected, unlike the BMC hoarding policy. If the BMC cannot impose its regulations on spaces not under its jurisdiction, we urge all other authorities that are custodians of promenades, beaches, and other public open spaces to adopt the BMC’s hoarding policy to restrict hoardings on these spaces,” the Bandra (West) Residents Association said in its letter to MMB’s CEO, P Pradeep.
“There are many other methods of generating revenue to maintain these public open spaces, as demonstrated by our trust for the Carter Road promenade since its inception over the past two decades,” the letter states. The letter is signed by Patricia Nath, chairperson of the association, and trustees Hussainali Dholkawala, Naaznin Husein, Sahir Sekhon, Vaishali Shinde, Vidya Vaidya, Vivek Sundara, and Zameer Palamkote. The residents have also called upon Bandra (West) BJP MLA and minister Ashish Shelar to intervene in the matter.
Minister Defends Policy
“For a long time, there was no clear advertising policy in the MMB. With these new regulations for advertising and leasing of open space, MMB will be able to generate revenue in a fair and transparent manner. We are allowing advertising based on fair norms and for maximising revenue. The rates will be competitive, and it will be a win-win for both MMB and advertisers. So far, MMB only issued NOCs for advertising, but now it will become a principal player in this field and also generate much needed revenue,” said ports and fisheries minister Nitesh Rane.
