(AI image) Maharashtra Maritime Board plans to install floating advertising barges and hoardings at prominent locations in Mumbai.
Ports and Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane said the MMB previously issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) for advertisements but would now earn revenue from them.
“A detailed hoarding and advertising policy was made for this,” he said, adding that installations would meet international standards and comply with environmental and coastal regulations. However, the proposal has raised environmental and aesthetic concerns.
The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority recently said these installations lacked Coastal Regulation Zone clearances. Residents and activists have also criticised them as an eyesore, warning that such advertising, despite its commercial potential, has triggered regulatory disputes, public opposition and legal challenges in other global cities.