High Court Criticizes NMC for Allowing Hoardings on Footpaths
Nagpur, India: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has criticized the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for allowing hoardings on public footpaths, and blocking pedestrian movement. The court has ordered the NMC to stop using footpaths for commercial purposes immediately.
The bench, made up of Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Vrushali Joshi, said that no hoardings should be put up on footpaths across the city. This decision followed a challenge to NMC’s recent tender allowing hoardings on footpaths.
During the hearing, the court expressed concern about how hoardings block public space and ordered NMC to explain its actions within a week. The petitioners’ lawyer argued that hoardings violate citizens' rights to freely use the footpaths.
The case was filed by Madhukar Kukde, President of the Citizen Forum for Equality. Kukde claimed that the hoardings and other encroachments were making it difficult for pedestrians to walk freely. The forum had raised this issue with the NMC in August 2024 but received no action.
The lawyer also referred to a 2000 court ruling, which stated that hoardings should not be allowed on footpaths. The State had also introduced a policy in 2022 banning hoardings on footpaths, but NMC continued issuing tenders.
The court had previously questioned the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) about actions against footpath obstructions. In response, NMC said it was taking action, including imposing fines of up to Rs 2,000.
The court has now asked NMC to involve the Smart City Project in solving this issue and provide more details on their efforts to remove encroachments.
