Hoarding collapses in Thane, case registered against ad agency, structural engineer
Police have registered a case against an agency and a structural engineer after an authorised hoarding collapsed in Maharashtra's Thane city, while the Thane Municipal
Police have registered a case against an agency and a structural engineer after an authorised hoarding collapsed in Maharashtra's Thane city, while the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has revoked the agency's permission to erect the structure. The cantilever-type hoarding, installed on a road divider in the Subhash Nagar area of Vartak Nagar, collapsed on July 6. Although no one was injured, the incident prompted the civic body to order a detailed enquiry, as the structure had been certified as structurally stable.
Read Full Story In a statement on Wednesday, the TMC said an FIR had been registered against the agency and the structural engineer under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for endangering life or personal safety. The civic body also cancelled the permission granted to the agency to install the hoarding. According to the TMC, the agency had erected the hoarding under its intersection beautification scheme, under which rights are granted in return for developing traffic junctions. The agency had submitted a fresh structural stability certificate issued by a structural engineer following an audit on June 6.
Following the collapse, the civic body launched an inspection of all authorised hoardings across the city. During the drive, two hoardings were found to be structurally unsafe and were immediately removed. The TMC has also directed all licensees to conduct structural safety checks, remove sheets during the monsoon wherever required, and ensure that electrical lighting and wiring attached to hoardings comply with safety norms. The action comes days after a large birthday banner collapsed from a foot overbridge near Mulund Check Naka in Thane on July 13.
Subsequently, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed the TMC to remove all illegal hoardings and conduct structural audits of large billboards across the city. The issue has remained under scrutiny since the May 2024 Ghatkopar hoarding collapse in Mumbai, which claimed 17 lives and triggered a statewide review of outdoor structures. Ends
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