e4m follow-up: After 15 years, TMC asks advertiser to remove illegal hoardings

In a long-overdue move, Thane’s civic authorities have issued a takedown notice to an advertiser for a hoarding that has remained installed illegally for over 15 years. 

The action comes soon after e4m raised this issue earlier this week following growing concerns around outdoor advertising safety, especially in the ongoing monsoon season.

As per the order issued by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to Suvarna Fibrotech, Pune—a copy of which is with exchange4media—the advertiser was originally permitted to erect hoardings atop air-conditioned public toilets they were contracted to build. However, while the hoarding was installed in 2011-12, the work order for the construction of the toilets was issued in 2018. TMC acknowledges that the toilets have been under construction on “public footpaths since 2018”, even as the hoarding has remained in place for over 15 years.

TMC has now directed Suvarna Fibrotech to remove both the hoarding and the incomplete structure. However, the order does not specify any timeline for compliance, nor does it mention any penalties for the prolonged violation.

e4m reached out to Suvarna Fibrotech to understand how do they plan to respond to TMC’s directives. Their response was awaited till the time of writing these lines.  

TMC Deputy Commissioner Dinesh Tayde’s response was also awaited. The copy will be updated as and when they respond. 

“Instead of taking concrete action, the municipal corporation is merely pushing paperwork. Due to the collusion between officials from the advertising department and the contractor, the municipal body is suffering losses, and citizens' lives are being put at risk,” alleges Sandeep Pachange, General Secretary of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Narnirman Sena (MNS).

MNS plans to approach the court once again, says Pachange, who had approached the Bombay High Court on illegal hoardings matters in the past. 

Sources say that the civic body is now reviewing other long-standing structures across the city as part of a wider clean-up initiative. Advertisers and media owners with questionable sites may soon be asked to furnish compliance documents or risk penalties and removal.

This development underscores the urgent need for accountability in the OOH (Out-of-Home) advertising ecosystem. While the industry continues to expand, particularly in urban and semi-urban pockets, lapses in safety and legality remain a cause for concern—not only for regulatory bodies but also for citizens exposed to daily risks.

Industry experts say the incident could prompt a larger conversation around structural audits, standardized permissions, and real-time monitoring of hoarding inventories in high-risk zones.