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The tragic collapse of a massive hoarding in Mumbai's Ghatkopar, resulting in the deaths of 17 people and injuring 74 others during a storm, has highlighted severe lapses and alleged corruption within government agencies. An excavator operator had initially raised concerns about the soft soil at the site, where Ego Media Private Limited planned a colossal 120 ft x 120 ft billboard.
The tragic collapse of a massive hoarding in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, resulting in the deaths of 17 people and injuring 74 others during a storm, has highlighted severe lapses and alleged corruption within government agencies. An excavator operator had initially raised concerns about the soft soil at the site, where Ego Media Private Limited planned a colossal 120 ft x 120 ft billboard. Despite the warning and recommendation for a soil check that would have taken 15 days to ensure structural stability, the company’s directors, Bhavesh Bhinde and former director Jahnavi Marathe, proceeded without delay or verification, as detailed in the 3,299-page chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team of the Mumbai Crime Branch.
The chargesheet points to the collusion of top officials from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and Ego Media in facilitating the illegal hoarding. It alleges that IPS officer Quaiser Khalid, then GRP Commissioner, exploited legal loopholes to award the hoarding contract to Ego Media without a competitive tender process. Khalid’s actions have led to his suspension, amidst accusations of irregularities and negligence in public safety protocols.
Further scrutiny in the chargesheet focuses on BMC license inspector Sunil Dalvi, who initially issued a notice to Ego Media for the illegal hoarding but inexplicably withdrew it later. His close association with Bhavesh Bhinde has raised serious questions about impartiality and regulatory oversight.
The incident has shed light on broader systemic failures in regulatory enforcement and public safety measures regarding hoardings in Mumbai. Despite regulations stipulating a maximum size of 40 ft x 40 ft for hoardings, the Ghatkopar structure, three times larger, managed to evade scrutiny until its catastrophic collapse. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed the assembly that out of 1,025 hoardings in BMC areas, none are illegal per BMC records. However, a BMC survey revealed that 99 out of 306 hoardings on Railway authority’s land in Mumbai exceed the permissible size, underscoring widespread non-compliance and lax enforcement.
The tragic incident has sparked public outrage and demands for accountability from authorities responsible for urban planning and safety. It underscores the urgent need for stringent enforcement of building regulations and transparency in the approval processes for infrastructure projects across Mumbai’s densely populated urban landscape. As legal proceedings unfold and investigations continue, the Mumbai hoarding collapse stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of regulatory negligence and corruption, urging comprehensive reforms to safeguard public welfare and uphold governance integrity in India’s financial capital.
