BENGALURU: The State government is scouting for space to bury the dead -- a chilling need spawned by the pandemic. It has identified a total of 35.18 acres of land on the outskirts of Bengaluru, though two acres of this land has been set aside for the long-planned Peripheral Ring Road in Yelahanka.
A government order listing 35.18 acres was out on Thursday, but the Bengaluru Urban DC office quickly said this was not finalised, and a survey was going on. The identified land includes four acres in North Bengaluru, 10 acres in South Bengaluru, three acres in Anekal and 12 acres in Yelahanka. No land has been marked in East Bengaluru.With a shortage of space in Bengaluru to bury the Covid-19 deceased, the BBMP had requested the deputy commissioner to identify and hand over land on the city outskirts.
According to government sources, “Spaces in gram panchayat limits were left vacant for the expansion of Bengaluru city, for commercial activities, industrialisation and townships. But with a shortage of space to bury the Covid deceased and strong opposition from locals not to bury them in the city, it has been decided to use the available spaces at the earliest.” Bengaluru Urban Additional DC Sree Roopa said the teams are conducting a survey of the lands listed. After the exercise is completed, land will be marked out in gram panchayat limits and handed over to BBMP as burial grounds. There are 40 burial grounds and 12 electric crematoriums in Bengaluru.
“While cremation is taking place, there is still a lot of fear. No one is willing to carry out burials, and there is no space for deep burial. Large spaces are needed, and we cannot clear the existing graves as was planned earlier, because of religious and sentimental reasons. The only option is to dispose of the bodies in the outskirts —a senior BBMP official said.