Lack of space prompts reopening of graveyards in Govandi

The graveyards had been shut due to bodies turning up in a partially decomposed state even after the minimum required time for decomposition stipulated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Even though the same continues, lack of grave space has prompted this action.

Mumbai: After a failed attempt at reopening the graveyards in Govandi on Wednesday, the two graveyards, Rafi Nagar and Deonar, were opened for new burials on Thursday.

Mumbai, India - June 09, 2023: After a few bodies were found in a partially decomposed condition even after the minimum required period of 18 months for decomposition, the BMC has ordered to temporarily shut Rafiq Nagar Kabristan in Govandi. The bodies will be buried in the neighbouring graveyard at Cheetah Camp in Trombay. (HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

The graveyards had been shut due to bodies turning up in a partially decomposed state even after the minimum required time for decomposition stipulated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Even though the same continues, lack of grave space has prompted this action.

“We’re opening the graveyards on a trial basis,” said Harshad Kale, deputy municipal commissioner of zone 5. “There is no ready solution, as opening a new graveyard will take time. We regret the hurt caused to the community.”

Dr Sanjay Phundre, the medical officer of health of the M East ward, said that the way any new dead bodies will be managed, is that if the bodies are decomposed for the most part, the second dead body will be placed over another layer of soil on it – a process called double stacking that has been done before.

It is possible that the bodies need more time for decomposition, but so much time and space is hard to find in a city as populated as Mumbai.

The attempt at reopening the graveyards on Wednesday went sour. Ateeque Khan, a resident and a member of the All India Majlis-e-ittehadul Muslimeen, who also filmed the ongoings, said, “The BMC made the announcement that they were going to reopen the Rafi Nagar Kabrastan, so I reached there just as they were about to dig a grave. They had not dug even one foot deep when a foul smell started to emanate from it. The body had not completely decomposed. This repeated with a second body.”

Khan and a few other residents stopped any further digging of graves and foiled the attempt to reopen the graveyard.

“We, Muslims, consider it a sin to dig up a grave till the body has decomposed, and here they are digging up graves over and over to check, and then refilling them. This is against our right to a decent and dignified burial,” said Khan.

He alleged that the Rafi Nagar graveyard is still not open, and that the Deonar graveyard has been opened covertly by digging graves at night, so residents don’t find out about the state of the bodies.

This move to reopen comes after the alternative graveyard assigned in the neighboring N ward, Chedda Nagar, reached its limit on August 4. HT had reported about the dire situation on August 2, in an article titled, “After M East ward, Muslim graveyards face space crunch in N Ward.” Being on the receiving end of 140 bodies in the two months of June and July for a graveyard that typically takes in under 20 in the same period tipped them over the edge, said Mohammed Shafique, who is on the management.

The mystery of what’s taking the bodies so long to decompose completely still hasn’t been solved. According to the DMC, the previous complaints that decomposition wasn’t taking place in the prescribed time due to the poor soil quality were proved to be untrue with multiple soil quality tests, all of which were satisfactory. The cause suspected now is that the bodies were wrapped in body bags due to being COVID bodies, which limited their exposure to the soil. Another reason, floats Kale, is that the wood used in the graves are of a quality that takes longer to decompose, again slowing down the rate of decomposition.