It’s a similar story of compassion and brotherhood being repeated elsewhere in the city

MUMBAI: Your city may have the notoreity of being heartless, but the lockdown is bringing the city’s humane side to the fore as locals and social organisations continue to do their bit to help people in need as well as those on the frontlines combating the pandemic.

In Dadar (east), the Naigaon Sarvajanik Navratrostav Mandal, at Dadar (E), started providing tea and breakfast to 70 policemen at Bhoiwada police station from Wednesday and will continue to do still till March 31. The mandal’s former president, Datta Divekar, said they have requested officials of various stores to provide ingredients to prepare tea.

The cost of the ingredients will be borne by the mandal, but he refused to reveal the amount they would have to shell out. “The cost does not matter at this point. What we will have to shell out is insignificant if you compare the altruistic service that police personnel at the forefront are rendering,” said Divekar.

“Until Wednesday, for at least two days, the police personnel had been deprived of even as much as a cup of tea in the evening...,” he said.

It’s a similar story of compassion and brotherhood being repeated elsewhere in the city. A group of friends comprising lawyers andsocial workers from Mira-Bhayander have come together under the banner ‘We Group’ to provide essential commodities to families of daily-wage labourers in the twin city.

They distributed rice, dal, flour, oil, salt, sugar and biscuits to 54 families. The stock is expected to last for about two weeks, said Sailesh Mishra, a social worker. The cost for each family has worked out to around Rs 600 and the group has sought donations from people.

They have taken permission from Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation. The volunteers said they are following all precautions in the wake of Covid-19.

