A number of hoardings put up by politicians with an eye on the BMC polls can crumble anytime and trigger mishaps, said citizens. The BMC does grant permission for banners, but a civic official told this paper that permission is granted on the condition that the banners be removed after the festival is over. Banners had come up for the recently concluded Ganesh festival in the city. Several residents have spoken out in the report stating that the banners are unsafe and may pose a risk to citizens, particularly pedestrians. In some spaces, banners have been removed but the bamboo framework remains, restricting access on pavements, many of which may be already encroached.

Let us see that these posters and banners, call them what you will, are removed in a jiffy if the permissions have elapsed. Politicians from any party will not have any problem eking out maximum mileage and will obviously not be in a hurry to remove these posters. It is the civic authorities who have to act.