MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) will soon introduce floating advertising barges and hoardings at prominent waterfront sites across Mumbai, including Juhu Beach, Lotus Jetty and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link jetty in Worli, aiming to generate revenue for port and water transport infrastructure.The MMB has floated tenders to appoint advertising agencies on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM) basis for billboards at around 20 locations across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Other proposed sites include Carter Road and Marve Jetty.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.
