No space for deadin Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Aug 10: Cemeteries in Hyderabad are turning away the dead as there is hardly any space left to create new graveyards. Some of the graveyards in the core areas of the city have “no space available” boards outside, postnoon reported.

Christian cemetery at Mettuguda and Boiguda in Secunderabad no longer allow any more burial in those premises.

“This has been the situation since ten years. People from the surrounding areas come to perform the last rights of their relatives but we have to direct them to the graveyards in Ammugudda and Bowenpally,” says Fr. Joji.

With the burgeoning population and rapid urbanization, there is literally no more place left for graveyards in the city.

The number of graveyards and cemeteries in the city has not increased in proportion to the population over the last four to five decades.

In some graveyards, the dead are being buried in the graves of their ancestors, “Since there is no space, the relatives of the departed souls, have no option but to bury the dead in the graves of their ancestors,“ says Br. Paul, incharge of the Cemetery in Nampally.

This is not the case of only Christian graveyards, even Muslim graveyards are facing space constraints.

Non-allocation of land for new graveyards, encroachments on existing ones has only been increasing the problem. Out of the 700 graveyards, nearly 600 graveyards are less than 5 acres.

There are several graveyard lands which have been encroached, hurting the religious sentiments of people.

“The government had allocated 5 acres land in Somajiguda ten years back for a Muslim graveyard, however later the same land was given for the construction of residential complex. We however took this matter to the court, and right now there is a stay order. It’s very sad that we have to fight for lands like this which we consider holy,” says Sayed Amin.

There have also been allegations that whatever land is left at a few graveyards is being sold to the relatives of the dead for the construction of the grave at a very high cost.

According to sources, the land for the construction of the graves are being sold anywhere between 15,000 to 50,000 rupees. In some areas, like the Yousufain dargah in Nampally, the land is sold for even 100,000 rupees.