The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), after an audit on hoardings in the city, reported that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has seven large, unauthorised, and dangerous hoardings in the CBS and Highway Bus Stand. The corporation issued notices to MSRTC to remove these hoardings from their premises. Despite issuing three notices to the Nashik division of ST Corporation, the municipality received no response, prompting the administration to take direct action by initiating legal proceedings and filing legal cases with help of the Police administration. Finally, the MSRTC has started removing these hoardings.
The MSRTC has started work of removal of these iron panels and structures from CBS and other locations and it has been met with satisfaction from the general public.
Action after structural audit
This action follows the tragic collapse of a hoarding in Mumbai, which resulted in the death of several people. The incident at Ghatkopar, where a large iron billboard fell during stormy winds, has raised concerns about the safety of similar structures. The Nashik Municipality has been on high alert since the Mumbai incident.
Eight months ago, a structural audit was conducted on hoardings situated on private land within the city. However, the audit revealed several dangerous hoardings at various ST Corporation bus stands, including CBS, the highway bus stand, and Panchavati depot. These hoardings, made of iron structure, posed a significant risk of falling during strong monsoon winds.
