Mumbai: Cuffe Parade blood drive gets rap on knuckles by BMC

A poster of the drive

A blood donation drive was held at the Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) Greens garden, a park in the swank SoBo neighbourhood, on June 12. Days after the drive, which locals say got a good response, the BMC has issued a notice to the CPRA. The one-page communique dated June 15 said in its subject line that this was about ‘organising programmes in the garden without permission'.

It said at the outset that a complaint has been received "by this office with reference to a blood donation camp held in the CPRA garden, in Cuffe Parade on June 12, 2022". The notice read, "The said garden is given to your association on adoption basis for maintenance, subject to certain terms and conditions."

Quoting the terms and conditions no 12 of the agreement, the notice said, "The adoptee shall maintain and manage the use of the Garden plot in such a manner so as not to cause any nuisance to the resident of the locality and that no social or other religious functions, programs, or meetings or marriages shall be allowed to be conducted except with prior permission of the Asst. Municipal Commissioner ‘A' ward or the Superintendent of Gardens of the Corporation. Provided further that no meeting of political nature shall be allowed at all for whatsoever reason."

The last paragraph of the communication states: "In view of the above terms and conditions you are hereby instructed, not to carry out any such activities without the prior permission of MCGM. If any such activity is observed, the adoption permission of csaid garden will be revoked from your association without any further notice, which please be noted."

Compassion

The blood donation drive was held by corporators Makarand Narwekar and Harshita Narwekar along with the Red Cross. Said Makarand Narwekar, "There may have been a procedural lapse. However, there should have been more compassion and the bigger picture could have been looked at as this was a social cause. There was no commercial interest. If we knew that permission for this drive was a prior requirement why would anybody not take it? This has been motivated, clearly. One expected some large-heartedness. There are so many pressing problems in the area like encroachment, vagrants which should have been the focus of the BMC."

A resident claimed that this was a good cause, saying blood banks are running dry as people are wary about donation, especially during COVID times. Shivdas Gurav, A.C. (i/c) A ward, said, "The cause of blood donation is a good one. We only stress that prior permission should be taken, that is the correct procedure."