BMC asks hoarding owners to display coronavirus messages

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has asked all licenced hoarding owners in Mumbai to display messages till March 25, starting from Monday, on fighting the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The directive was issued by BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. Those disobeying the directive will have their hoarding licences cancelled, the directive warned.

Mumbai has around 1,200 licences. "Covid-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. Against this backdrop, it is need of the hour that an intense awareness campaign be undertaken to minimise the spread of the coronavirus," read the BMC's letter.

It said messages on such hoardings will strengthen efforts of the BMC and state government to fight the outbreak. As on Monday, there are 37 Covid-19 patients in Maharashtra. 

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