Grave concern over burial space crunch

Hyderabad: Rest in peace, the obituary for dead is far from reality with lack of grave space across the graveyards looming large over the community.

With a large number of dead people resting in graveyards over the years, coupled with encroachments, the Muslim community members are a worried lot as finding a grave space for a decent burial is getting difficult day by day. The rich members of the community are indulging in buying space for burying for themselves and for the entire family at same a single spot.

It has been over two years since the current Wakf Board chairman Md Saleem cautioned Dargah committees, Mutawallis not to collect any amount to provide space for burial in any graveyard. However, owing to shrinking of graveyards in city, people are not only booking space in advance, but also fencing the site for their entire family by spending large amounts depending upon the graveyard locality and area.

One of the reasons for such a dire situation is encroachment of graveyard land by land sharks. Allegedly, up to 40 percent of the land meant for the dead has been usurped by the encroachers.

"The Saidabad graveyard which was spread over in several acres has now shrunk due to illegal encroachments. The graveyard has become so congested that people have search for the burial pit," said Aziz Pasha, custodian of dargah Hazrat Syed Ujale Shah, Saidabad.

It is shocking that a family has been resting in a tomb since many years and all facilities like electricity, water connection is being provided by the State government. Without showing concern to those resting in graves, many have constructed rooms inside the tomb, and some are utilising the exterior space for commercial purposes.

Each space ranging from Rs 20,000 to over 1 lakh

Interestingly, a burial space in a graveyard having famous dargah will be allocated on paying an amount in the range of Rs 20,000 to over 1 lakh, which very less people can afford.

An attender at the graveyard in Old City, said most of the burial land has been booked in advance. When asked about the presence of an enclosure large enough to construct a hall in the graveyard, he said that, "It belongs to a local leader and there are many such enclosures booked by rich and politicians."

Residents in areas like Barkas, Phisalbanda, Talab Katta, Moghalpura, Misri Gunj, Alaibad, Hussainialam, Yakutpura, Saidabad, Madannapet, Nampally, Kothi, Golconda and some other localities are having tough time to find space for their loved ones.

Local and non-local issues crop up during burial

In recent years, the TS Wakf Board's diktat locals should be buried in the area graveyard has put residents in localities without graveyards in great trouble. The graveyard committees are not allowing to bury the bodies of those who are not residents of nearby areas.

"The authorities have failed to provide alternative spaces in new areas, more than half of the graveyard lands have been encroached by realty ventures and a major part of graveyard land is being used for commercial purpose, there is a crunch for grave space" said Mohammed Ilyas Shamsi, activist.