Mumbai: Dasara and Diwali greetings have turned the stretch from Bandra to Dahisar into a wall of political hoardings. The Western Express Highway, S.V. Road and Link Road, along with signals, footpaths, chowks and public spots, are crowded with them.
Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Andheri and Jogeshwari have banners from leaders across parties, local office-bearers and workers. In several places, hoardings of rival parties, factions and local leaders stand cheek by jowl, so some junctions and roads look taken over by the boards.
The political scramble to reach citizens through festival greetings is plain to see, but the banner drive has revived questions about the use of public space, the city's look and road safety. Citizens have complained that the clutter is disfiguring the city.
A demand is building that the civic administration pull down every banner and make the western suburbs banner-free. Action against unauthorised hoardings is the corporation's responsibility. Civic bodies should inspect the hoardings at public places and act, said Adv. Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of the Watchdog Foundation.
"There is no objection to the enthusiasm of sending festival greetings. But rules must be followed when public spaces are used. The permit conditions that apply to banners put up by political parties or social organisations should be checked," he said.