DP fails to count cemeteries by religion

MUMBAI: Despite the fact that the urban planners of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have conducted a ground-level survey across the city’s 24 administrative wards, their work has not reflected adequately in the development plan 2014-2034, which has been posted online.

Some plots of land have been given the general designation of cemetery, instead of particular names such as Hindu cremation ground, Muslim cemetery and Christian cemetery.

The use of each cemetery is different, but the civic officials have generalised the designation. The implications will become apparent after the survey is put online.

Shyama Kulkarni, coordinator of H west ward for the NGO AGNI, said, “While marking the reservations for a particular area, the DP officials will consider the existing structures (designation survey). By generalising the designation as cemetery without specifying the land use, the civic officials will create confusion. The planners will not know whether a Hindu or Muslim or Christian cemetery is needed in a particular area unless the designation of the existing plot is specified.”

The BMC had ordered all the 24 administrative wards to carry out a ground-level survey and mark the designations of particular plots as per their actual use.

Yet, in some instances, the cemetery plots have been marked wrongly. The Bandra Jewish cemetery at Kadeshwari Mandir marg has been marked as a Christian cemetery.

Moreover, the survey has also marked a recreation ground– a place for senior citizens— as a cemetery. This ground is located at Babhai Naka in Borivli (west).

Also, Irla municipal Urdu school and Juhu Irla education society, too, have been marked as cemeteries.

A civic official said, “We are open to receive feedback from the citizens. If anything is wrongly marked, it will be corrected in the draft before releasing it.”