The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has removed 52,448 unauthorised banners, flex boards, posters and other publicity materials across Mumbai between January 1 and October 16, 2026, and has ordered a year-round crackdown to prevent the defacement of public spaces, according to an official statement.
The civic body said a special drive conducted between October 8 and 16 resulted in the seizure of 3,537 unauthorised publicity materials, including banners, boards, posters and flags. The action forms part of a wider campaign against illegal advertising and visual clutter across the city.
The BMC has also begun legal proceedings in cases involving violations. Four first information reports have been registered, while written complaints in 333 other cases have been sent to various police stations for further action, the civic body said.
BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said the enforcement campaign would continue throughout the year instead of being limited to the festive season. She said the objective was to prevent the repeated defacement of Mumbai’s public spaces after unauthorised publicity material is removed.
Bhide made the remarks during a monthly review meeting of the civic body’s departments at the Command and Control Centre in Worli. She directed officials from the Licensing Department, Maintenance Department, Encroachment Removal Department and other relevant departments to participate in the campaign and ensure that illegal material is removed promptly after complaints are received.
The BMC said it was also seeking cooperation from political parties and elected representatives to keep public areas free of unauthorised banners, posters and stickers. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has announced a special campaign titled “Shadu Bappa Ten Days – FlexFree Mumbai 365 Days” and has personally participated in the removal of illegal publicity materials, according to the civic body.
The latest drive places responsibility not only on municipal field departments but also on the advertising and printing chain that produces and installs unauthorised material. Bhide instructed officials to take action against printing presses and agencies that prepare advertising materials without the required permissions.
The civic body is considering making QR codes mandatory for authorised advertising hoardings in the future. The proposed system would allow citizens and officials to verify whether an advertisement has received the necessary permission and distinguish legal hoardings from unauthorised ones.
Unauthorised banners, posters and advertising boards displayed in public places can attract action under the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995. Violations may result in imprisonment of up to three months or a fine, as applicable under the law.
The BMC said officials would continue removing unauthorised advertisements and acting against violators as part of the year-round campaign. The proposed QR-code system and further enforcement measures remain under consideration.
