The Pune Municipal Corporation has made slow progress in demolishing illegal hoardings and filing complaints against those responsible, a month after announcing a crackdown on structures lacking QR codes. According to civic officials, no offence has been filed in the last month.
Activists Demand Special Squad
Activists have now demanded that the PMC form a special squad to remove these illegal hoardings, warning that they could cause a mishap during the upcoming monsoon season as they are unverified. Sanjay Shitole of Pune City Eye said, “Such hoardings are life-threatening. There is no guarantee about their safety as structural audits are not carried out. The civic administration must take serious legal action.”
Shantanu Gosavi, a resident of Paud Road, noted, “Mishaps have been caused by such hoardings in the past and commuters have died when they collapsed. Despite this, many illegal hoardings are still seen along roads, especially near highways.”
QR Code Mandate
In April this year, the PMC announced mandatory QR codes for legal hoardings. Scanning the code with a mobile phone would provide permit number, validity period, owner’s name, renewal status, and relevant documentation. Advertising agencies must place these QR codes in designated spots. Any hoarding without a QR code, or where scanning fails to display information, is deemed illegal. The hoardings policy introduced the QR code provision in 2022.
Civic Response
Sandip Kadam, head of PMC’s sky sign department, said, “After orders were issued, the majority of advertisers have added QR codes to hoardings. We have instructed ward offices to survey hoardings in their jurisdiction without these codes. Action against them will start in a day or two.”
According to civic data, there are 2,640 official hoardings within PMC limits. Advertising material is termed illegal if installed without permission, irrespective of structural audit. Licence renewal is possible only after such an audit, which many advertisers routinely avoid.
