July 8, 2025: The Maharashtra government will roll out a 90-day initiative aimed at enhancing burial ground facilities across Mumbai, Industries Minister Uday Samant announced on Monday during the monsoon session of the state assembly, according to news agency PTI.
Responding to a calling attention motion raised by BJP MLA Manisha Chaudhari concerning the Kandarpada burial ground in Dahisar, Samant stated that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been instructed to carry out a survey of land reserved for burial grounds under the Development Plan (DP).
“Burial grounds will be developed based on local needs and available land. Within 90 days, both the reservation process and allocation of funds for burial grounds will be finalised,” Samant said.
Currently, the BMC oversees 10 Christian burial grounds, while 42 are privately managed. For the Muslim community, 17 burial grounds fall under municipal control, with 67 managed privately.
Samant added that a dedicated committee will soon be formed to establish a structured framework for cremation and burial services across all urban local bodies. The framework will consider factors such as population growth, urban expansion, and land availability. The initiative will align with the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), ensuring dignity and public health standards in funerary services.
Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh and Samajwadi Party’s Raees Shaikh raised concerns over the lack of measures to ensure quicker decomposition of buried bodies. In addition, Manisha Chaudhari warned that the absence of disinfection processes poses significant health risks.
In response, Samant acknowledged that burials are conducted using traditional methods and confirmed that no disinfection process is currently in place.
The initiative marks a step towards improving urban burial infrastructure, addressing civic concerns, and modernising practices in line with public health and human rights norms.
Source: Mid-day
