Space shortage at cemeteries alarming threat to people

[LahoreEstate]

RAWALPINDI: Almost 90 percent of the city’s 37 graveyards are short of space for burial, bringing discomfort to the residents.

There are more than 17 main graveyards in the city and 10 in cantonment areas, which are almost filled. However, the city district government is yet to allocate a piece of land for a new graveyard.

The city’s main graveyards in Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai, Eidgah, Shan Diyan Talian, Kuri Road, Dhoke Khaba, Dhoke Illahi Buksh, Dhoke Kashmirian, Chah Sultan, Malikan Da Kabristan, and backside Sunday Bazaar near Committee Chowk have filled forcing the undertakers to dig out the unattended graves to accommodate the dead.

During a survey, Daily Times found encroachments all along the graveyards. Due to limited space, the managements of the graveyard committees are allowing space to only those living near graveyards at a premium. All these graveyards lack boundary walls inviting grabbers to build constructions.

The worst affected is Dhoke Ratta where the graveyard is almost filled. The management committee of the graveyard regularly fills the banks. However, during monsoon, floodwater enters destroy the graves and sometimes washes the graveyard that borders on Leh Nullah.

“My father’s and over six graves were washed away during last monsoon when the rainwater flooded the nullah,” said Muhammad Amjad. He said his father (Muhammad Deen) was buried in Ratta Graveyard extension, but due to ill-planned extension, the area flooded with rainwater destroying the newly built graves.

Eidgah Graveyard is also accommodating new arrivals, as the management has extended its limits to the banks of nullah. People bury their loved ones here because they have no other option.

Muhammad Fiaz, a resident of Nayya Mohallah, said his brother had died two months ago and he visited all the graveyards in the locality for his burial, but their management committees refused.

He said he talked to the graveyard undertaker at Dhoke Illahi Buksh, who managed to create space between two graves.

The city district government and town municipal administration (TMA) have failed to properly manage the 20,000 kanals of land in Rakh Dhamial about 20 kilometers away from the city. The land was allocated the second tenure of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

There is also shortage of burial space in the cantonment graveyards because of lack of proper planning and regular maintenance on the part of Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB).

Shah Piyara, Karbala and other graveyards in the cantonment have no space. The residents of cantonment had criticised the government for not allocating new space for graveyards and constructing boundary walls around the existing graveyards.

When contacted, Rawal Town Nazim Sheikh Rashid Shafique admitted that there was acute shortage of graveyards in the city making burials a serious problem for the families. “There is an urgent need for acquiring land for new graveyards, as the existing ones would be absolutely full in the next one or two years,” he said.

“Sensing the situation two years ago, former information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had got an NoC from the Interior Ministry to construct a new graveyard near Fauji Colony on IJ Principal Road,” said the nazim. He said the project could not be launched after the general elections and new provincial government was taking no interest in the matter.

He said the RTMA had purchased a bus to carry the dead body. He said the RTMA had also allocated funds for purchase of new bus for funeral.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...09_pg11_10