Rafi Nagar burial ground reopens briefly, but Deonar cemetery shuts again, leaving Muslim families anxious
MUMBAI — The long-running burial crisis affecting Muslim residents of Govandi and nearby areas in this Maharashtra metropolis has once again come into focus, as burials resumed at Rafi Nagar cemetery after nearly a year and a half, only for Deonar cemetery to be shut the very next day due to lack of space. The repeated opening and closing of cemeteries is causing confusion, distress and anger among families, trustees and community members, who say the issue is being treated casually despite its deep religious and human importance
Burials restarted at Rafi Nagar cemetery on Thursday, (December 18), raising hopes that some relief had finally arrived. Those hopes did not last long. From Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stopped burials at Deonar cemetery after officials declared that its capacity had been fully exhausted. For local Muslims, the situation has begun to feel like an unending cycle, with one cemetery opening while another closes, without any lasting answer in sight.
Mushtaq Sheikh, secretary of the Rafi Nagar cemetery trust, confirmed that burials had resumed after a long gap. Speaking to Clarion India, he said, “Burials have resumed after about a year and a half. Earlier, for a few days, bodies were buried, but the process was stopped on the instructions of the BMC.”
He explained that the earlier closure was based on official guidelines. “According to BMC rules, a body does not decompose fully before 18 months. If graves are dug too shallow, many problems can arise,” he said, pointing to health and safety concerns often cited by civic officials.
When asked how long Rafi Nagar cemetery could continue to function this time, Sheikh gave a cautious reply. “It depends on how many bodies are brought. If the number is high, the space will run out soon. If not, it may work for more than a year,” he said. He admitted that the situation looks almost unreal. “It feels like a joke, but this is a very serious issue. It needs a permanent solution.”
According to him, the only real answer lies in completing work on a new cemetery plot at the transit camp, which can hold around 400 graves. “Work has started after much struggle, but even now the boundary wall is not complete. By this time, the cemetery should have been ready,” he added, clearly upset with the slow pace of construction.
Deonar cemetery trustee Abdul Rehman, also known as Munna, said that repeated warnings had been ignored. “We had already told the authorities that Rafi Nagar should be opened quickly because space in Deonar was almost finished,” he said. “Finally, what we feared has happened. The BMC closed Deonar from Friday, and issued a notice.”
Rehman stressed that the problem is directly linked to population pressure. “Govandi has a large Muslim population. The existing cemeteries are not enough. More space is clearly needed,” he said. He also criticised the slow work on the new cemetery site. “The work is moving at a very slow pace. We are told it may be ready and opened by April 2026. Only then will this issue end.”
He warned that without timely action, the same pattern will continue. “If nothing changes, one cemetery will keep closing and another will open for a short time. This is not a solution. The answer is simple. Build a new cemetery and do it quickly,” he said.
A public notice issued by the Health Officer of M East Ward confirmed the closure of Deonar cemetery. The notice stated that the burial capacity at Deonar had been fully used and that, under BMC rules, the cemetery was being closed from December 19. The notice did not mention any reopening date, adding to the uncertainty faced by families.
Kasle, Health Officer of M East Ward, said that efforts would be made to prevent future problems. “We will try to make sure there is no burial problem in the coming time,” he said. On the repeated opening and closing of cemeteries, he added, “When capacity is exhausted, burials cannot continue. That is why these steps are taken.”
For the community, these official explanations offer little comfort. Deonar cemetery has space for around 1,300 graves, while Rafi Nagar can hold more than 1,200. With both nearing or reaching capacity, families fear sudden closures at the most painful moments of their lives.
Local residents say the issue reflects a wider neglect of Muslim needs in the city’s planning process. Burial is a religious duty in Islam, and delays or uncertainty cause deep emotional pain. Many families have had to wait, rush paperwork, or travel long distances to bury their loved ones.
Trustees remain united on one point. “The permanent solution is a new cemetery,” one trustee said. “It must be completed without delay. This matter is about dignity in death, and it should not be handled in such a careless way.”
As things stand, Rafi Nagar is open and Deonar is closed. For how long, no one can say. Until a new cemetery becomes ready, Mumbai’s Muslim community remains caught between temporary fixes and official delays, waiting for a solution that should have come long ago.
