UDD to set up cemetery in Mankhurd following HC orders

Mumbai: The state Urban Development Department (UDD) has initiated the process of setting up a cemetery in Mankhurd, responding to directives from the High Court. The UDD has invited suggestions and objections, as per the notice issued last week.

A senior UDD official mentioned that groups of Sunni Muslims had approached the high court advocating for additional burial grounds in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. The PIL filed by three Govandi residents highlighted the inadequate decomposition period resulting from the turnaround time for reusing the same ground.

High court’s November 2023 order, outlined directions regarding the cemetery. The high court highlighted the initial allocation of land by the Maharashtra government’s Urban Development Department for a cemetery, which was later revoked.

The BMC had submitted a proposal to the government, identifying a 5242 sq meters plot in Mankhurd with a reservation for a temporary Municipal Transit Camp slum rehabilitation scheme. This area was proposed to be allocated for the cemetery.