Cemetery trustees say the revised design could increase capacity from 400 graves to as many as 600.
MUMBAI — Work on a new graveyard plot adjoining Deonar Cemetery in Mumbai has been delayed further after authorities decided to modify the original design of the project.
The new plot, located next to the Transit Camp area near Deonar Cemetery, was initially planned to accommodate around 400 graves. However, cemetery trustees have now revised the layout in an effort to increase burial capacity and provide more space for funeral prayers.
Abdul Rahman Karimullah Shah, popularly known as Munna, a trustee of Deonar Cemetery and supervisor of the new plot, said the redesign has inevitably slowed progress but is expected to offer long-term benefits.
“Work has already been delayed considerably, and the new layout has added to the timeline. However, the advantage is that more graves can now be accommodated. Instead of 400 graves, the capacity may increase to 500 or even 600,” Shah told Clarion India.
According to him, the revised plan removes pathways between individual graves and reorganises the available land more efficiently. The design also provides a larger dedicated space for offering funeral prayers.
Currently, workers are marking and demarcating grave sites on the plot.
The project has a long history of delays. On 10 November 2023, the Bombay High Court directed the civic authorities to provide a new plot for burial purposes, following concerns about the shortage of burial space in the area.
During the hearing, the court strongly criticised the authorities and observed that every person has the right to a dignified burial and the performance of final rites after death.
Following the court’s order, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) submitted an affidavit assuring that the work would be completed and burials would begin by 2024.
A budget of ₹9 crore was approved for the project. However, despite the passing of more than two years since the court’s intervention, even basic work such as the boundary wall and grave demarcation has not yet been fully completed.
Deonar Cemetery to Remain Closed
Meanwhile, burials at the existing Deonar Cemetery have remained suspended for nearly a year because available space has been exhausted.
According to BMC regulations, burial grounds cannot be reused until sufficient time has passed for natural decomposition. Officials say burials at Deonar cannot resume for another five months and are expected to restart only in November.
As a result, bodies from the area are currently being buried at Rafi Nagar Cemetery.
Trustee Abdul Rahman Shah acknowledged that Rafi Nagar Cemetery is also approaching its capacity limits.
“At present, we are somehow managing the situation, but families living far away face difficulties in taking bodies to Rafi Nagar for burial,” he said.
“When Deonar Cemetery remains operational, locals find it easier to perform burials close to their homes. It also reduces pressure on a single cemetery and prevents burial space from being exhausted too quickly.”
He expressed confidence that once the new plot is fully developed, residents of Govandi and the surrounding areas will have improved access to burial facilities.
“The struggle for this additional burial space is now close to success. Once the project is completed, families will be able to bury their loved ones more conveniently in their own area,” Shah said.
Community members have welcomed the prospect of increased burial capacity but continue to express concern over repeated delays, especially given the growing demand for burial space in eastern Mumbai.
The completion of the new Deonar graveyard plot is expected to play a crucial role in addressing long-term burial needs for thousands of residents in Govandi, Deonar and neighbouring localities.
