Burial on open TMC plot: ‘Misuse’ of land threatens to create divide among residents

THANE: Controversy over the “misuse” of an open plot, nestled amidst a residential enclave at Pokhran Road 1, as a burial floor by way of the local Christian group threatens to create a divide among the residents with a majority locals disappointed that a kids’s playground has been usurped whilst the opposite faction claims the land belongs to a church accept as true with.

On March 20, the parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Church had buried a 95-year-old in the compound just about the church, which prompted angry reaction from the residents.

“Our kids used to play at the playground there. Since the burial the children are afraid to head there. We recognize the sentiments of the group, but one cannot create a cemetery in a residential house, especially when it is marked as a playground house by way of the civic frame,” said Sanika Ambekar, chairman of Ravi Estate.

The civic beginning and loss of life division had registered a complaint towards 11 parishioners after the burial as they had not taken adequate permission to do the similar and it used to be executed at the civic plot. “The civic division registered a complaint on March 20 towards the parishioners declaring that they had not taken adequate permissions required for the burial and that it used to be executed on a plot, which isn't marked as a cemetery. We arrested the accused inside of every week beneath the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act and beneath the Bombay Police Act. But they have been granted bail by way of the court docket,” said Pradeep Giridhar, senior inspector at Vartak Nagar police station.

“The civic government must have stored a security body of workers as it is marked as a playground house and there are slides and different apparatus through which kids used to head and play. We fear that publish this incident there will be many such burials and the plot will turn into a cemetery, which can have an effect on the locals,” Amey Jadhav, resident of Ravi Estate. The residents of the quite a lot of societies surrounding the plot have written to civic government and the mother or father minister urging them to take action.

“Cemeteries are normally clear of residential spaces and we fear that the plot will develop into a burial floor. We have written to quite a lot of government urging them to appear into the matter. There is a well at the plot from where the surrounding societies have borewell connections, which we fear gets infected due to the burials,” said Dattatray More, joint secretary at Suresh Park.

The members of the Catholic group right here said they have got long been difficult regularisation of their church land to be used as a burial spot as there's an acute scarcity of burial area. The Christian cemetery at the Teen petrol pump is insufficient for the growing population and there is a want for a brand new burial floor. Presently, most our bodies must be extricated in not up to a year prior to they're fully decomposed.

Guardian minister Eknath Shinde has written to the civic frame to protected an open plot for the Christian cemetery.

Our kids used to play at the playground there. Since the burial they're afraid to head there. We recognize the sentiments of the group, but one cannot create a cemetery in a residential house, especially when it is marked as a playground by way of TMC

We were difficult regularisation of our church land to be used as a burial spot as there's an acute scarcity of burial area. The Christian cemetery at Teen petrol pump is insufficient for the growing population of the Christian group.