BMC wrests control of Cuffe Parade garden from residents’ association

Located next to Palm Springs on Captain Prakash Pethe Marg in the southern tip of the Mumbai peninsula, the park was handed over to citizens in 1987 for maintenance; however a board put up at the garden on Thursday citing its possession by BMC put an end to the privilege granted to the citizens’ body

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took back control of a verdant patch – the Cuffe Parade Residents’ Association (CPRA) Greens Garden -- from the association on Thursday, following repeated complaints of alleged misuse of the civic body-owned plot and restrictions on public access.

BMC wrests control of Cuffe Parade garden from residents’ association

Located next to Palm Springs on Captain Prakash Pethe Marg in the southern tip of the Mumbai peninsula, the park was handed over to citizens in 1987 for maintenance; however a board put up at the garden on Thursday citing its possession by BMC put an end to the privilege granted to the citizens’ body.

Following BMC’s move, the association has dashed off a letter to municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide to intervene and set things right, failing which it would move the Bombay High Court (HC).

BMC gets complaints

People in the know said, in the past BMC had received complaints about weddings and private programmes being organised in the park without permission. There were also complaints about entry to the garden being restricted for the general public. Following the slew of complaints, BMC had issued multiple show-cause notices to the association in 2019, 2021 and 2025, but the explanations submitted by the association were found to be unsatisfactory, said a civic official.

The proposal was placed before senior civic officials, including the deputy commissioner (Zone I), deputy commissioner (Gardens), additional municipal commissioner Ranjit Dhakane and Bhide recently, seeking approval to take over the plot.

A civic official in-charge of the matter confirmed the development. HT is also in possession of a copy of BMC’s proposal to take over the CPRA garden plot.

Association hits back

Laura D’Souza, president of the CPRA, however alleged that the garden was being misused by corporator Makarand Narwekar and his associates. “During Covid, they cordoned off a portion of the area by building a wall and set up a water pump room. They put up a board and handed it over to a nearby slum. When we tried to remove the wall, our members were assaulted. Noisy weddings were also organised there; no action was taken despite our objections,” she said.

She added that the association has written to Bhide and assistant commissioner Jaydeep More on Friday, seeking their intervention, alleging “an unlawful attempt by civic officials and a local corporator to take over a long-managed public garden in the upscale south Mumbai neighbourhood”.

“Instead of acting on our complaints, the civic officials accused us of misusing the space by giving it away. They have been filing complaints against us since 2015 and are trying to grab the land,” D’Souza alleged.

She added that the association has been managing and maintaining the garden plot next to Palm Springs building since 1987 under an arrangement with the BMC. While the last formal agreement expired in 2013, the civic body has continued to recognise CPRA as the caretaker through official correspondence over the years, without raising objections to its possession or management, stated the letter, a copy of which HT has seen.

The letter also underlines that the association maintained the garden by spending over ₹1 lakh each month on staff, which include gardeners, a supervisor and security personnel, along with other utility expenses; and prevented encroachments while keeping the garden open to public.

The CPRA has urged the civic chief to intervene and restrain officials and the corporator from further interference, failing which it has warned that it will approach HC.

Local corporator Makarand Narwekar rejected all allegations levelled on him and questioned CPRA’s claims. “Is Laura D’Souza someone who would remain silent if the area was being cordoned off? She is at the helm of CPRA, and it is her responsibility as president to stop any such activity. If she cannot prevent it, then the garden should be handed back to the BMC. It is a public garden and not private property,” he said.