Chhath Puja is an occasion when devotees express their affection and gratitude towards Mother Nature by worshipping the Sun God and water. However, local politicians cutting across party lines seem to have taken this opportunity to brazenly harm the environment by plastering the twin-cities with illegal banners in order to hog cheap publicity and woo people from north Indian-dominated areas.
Aimed at putting the brakes on the biggest eyesore, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) had passed a resolution in the general body to roll back the system of giving permissions for putting up temporary flex banners and hoardings across the twin-cities from October, 1, 2018. Notably, the MBMC became the first civic body in the state to pass such a resolution. However, despite the resolution and the Bombay High Court's ruling against the eyesores, local politicians nailed digital flex boards on the trunk of trees and electric poles at public places on the station road leading to the banks of the creek in Bhayandar since Saturday night.
After complaints by noted environmentalist Dhiraj Parab, the civic administration swung into action and started removing the illegal banners on Sunday. “Removing banners is not enough, the MBMC should register criminal offences against those involved in defacing the city and harming trees,” Mr Parab said.
It will be interesting to see whether the civic administration slaps notices and registers police cases under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995, against those who installed illegal banners and hoardings in public places or choses to remain silent just by removing them. Other areas in the vicinity of the puja spots in Mira Road and Kashimira witnessed similar defacement.
