Decide on plea seeking more space for burial grounds: HC to BMC

The Bombay High Court bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni on Thursday ordered the BMC chief to decide within two weeks, a representation seeking additional space for cemeteries in Govandi, Chembur, Wadala and Oshiwara owing to the rise in Covid deaths.

The bench was seized with a PIL filed by one Mohammed Abrar Chaudhary and two other residents of Deonar highlighting the space issues at the burial grounds in their vicinity.

Advocate Altaf Khan for the petitioners told the bench that usually it takes around 18 months for a dead body to decompose and later the remains of the cadaver are removed and put up in other spots.

"However, since the deaths have increased now the bodies are being removed within 18 months and the Covid bodies are buried by wrapping in a plastic cover. Removing the bodies nondecomposed bodies, sometimes even hurt the sentiments" Khan argued.

At this, the bench sought to know a solution for increasing the space as there are multiple development projects taking place in the city.

To this, Khan responded that it is the duty of the civic body to provide grounds for burying the bodies. Khan further pointed out that he had made representations with the BMC since 2017, however, there have been no response from the civic body. "So let the civic chief first decide your representations and take a decision. We will consider your plea later," the bench said.

The judges, accordingly, disposed of the plea with a liberty to Khan to move the bench again if the civic body passes an order against their representation.