Mumbai: BMC Removes 40,172 Illegal Ads In 9 Months, Political And Religious Publicity Account For 83 Per Cent
Mumbai, October 7, 2026: Even as Mayor Ritu Tawde launches a “zero-tolerance” drive against Mumbai’s illegal flex banners, hoardings, posters and stickers, BMC figures expose the scale of the city’s visual pollution. Between January and September 2026, the Licence Department removed 40,172 such advertisements—19,409 political, 14,133 religious and 6,630 commercial—with political and religious…
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has initiated a "zero-tolerance" campaign against illegal advertisements throughout the city. Between January and September 2026, the Licensing Department removed 40,172 such ads, of which 19,409 were political, 14,133 were religious, and 6,630 were commercial. Political and religious publicity accounted for over 83% of the total removed.
The campaign resulted in 176 cases filed and 277 complaints lodged with the police, though formal police complaints were lodged in only two cases. February saw the highest number of removals with 6,145 ads taken down, followed by March and April with 5,741 and 5,550 respectively. September recorded 3,882 removals. The drive targets expired permissions and unapproved banners, hoardings, temporary entry gates, posters, and flags erected without civic approval.
The Outdoor Advertisement Display policy introduced last year aims to regulate hoardings following the tragic collapse in Ghatkopar that claimed 17 lives. The policy requires all advertisements to have written permission, and violators could face imprisonment or fines under specific acts.
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