A new cemetery with space for around 500 graves is under construction in Govandi, with trustees hoping it will end the recurring closures and reopenings of burial grounds in the area
MUMBAI — Deonar cemetery has reopened for burials after remaining closed for a year, but Rafiq Nagar cemetery has now been shut because its burial capacity has been exhausted, prompting concerns among local residents about the longer distance families will have to travel.
The closure does not mean that burials cannot take place, but families bringing bodies to Rafiq Nagar will now have to take them to Deonar cemetery. The additional distance is likely to cause inconvenience to bereaved families and people attending funerals. Previously, residents faced a similar difficulty when Deonar cemetery was closed.
Abdul Rahman, popularly known as Munna, a trustee of Deonar cemetery, told the media that the cemetery had been reopened in accordance with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regulations after remaining closed for a year. Rafiq Nagar cemetery, meanwhile, had to be closed because it had run out of space.
He said there would be no shortage of burial space at Deonar for approximately the next year. After that, burials would resume at Rafiq Nagar, allowing the two cemeteries to operate in rotation.
Munna also said construction was under way on a reserved plot adjoining Deonar cemetery to develop a new burial ground with capacity for around 500 graves. He expressed hope that once the work was completed, the recurring cycle of cemetery closures and reopenings would end, providing lasting relief to residents of Govandi.
Explaining the proposed arrangement, he said residents had so far depended mainly on Deonar and Rafiq Nagar cemeteries. Once the new cemetery became operational, its capacity of around 500 graves was expected to take approximately six months to fill. This, he said, would ease the pressure on the existing burial grounds and eliminate the need for families in Rafiq Nagar to transport bodies to Deonar, or for Deonar residents to use Rafiq Nagar.
He also explained that BMC regulations require a body to have completely decomposed in the soil before the same burial space can be used again. Reburial is not permitted before this process is complete. According to him, the authorities issue instructions to close cemeteries when required to ensure compliance with these rules and avoid problems arising from premature reuse of graves.
The new plot is therefore expected to provide a more permanent solution to the shortage of burial space in the area.
However, the construction has taken considerably longer than originally planned. Under BMC guidelines, work on the new cemetery was supposed to be completed in 2025, but it remains unfinished. The trustees said they hoped the remaining work would not take much longer.
