No space for Muslim burials in Delhi after a year: Report

There will be no space left for Muslim burials in the national capital after a year, according to a report by Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC). The report seeks remedial strategies including land allocation and provision of temporary graves from the Delhi government.

The report based on 'Problems and Status of Muslim Graveyards in Delhi' conducted by the commission through Human Development Society was released by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday.

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The report mentioned that against 13,000 Muslim burials that take place in Delhi every year, as many as 29,370 vacancies existed in the graveyards until 2017. Out of the 704 Muslim graveyards in the city, only 131 are functional. The report further mentioned that out of those 131, 43 have been encroached upon by different agencies and 17 are non-operation on account of litigation. 

"This means that at the present pace, there will be no space left after one year from now unless some remedial strategies are adopted," the report said.   

"Very few graveyards were developed in the recent past despite the growing need due to the increase in population as a result of natural growth and immigration from other parts of the country," the report said.

The report recommended temporary graves, which allow re-burial in the same space after a few years, and development of new graveyards by removing encroachments. It also called for allocation of new land for graveyards, building boundary walls and having guards to prevent encroachment of the existing graveyards.

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Delhi Minorities Commission has already presented the findings in the report to the Delhi government, various departments and organisations to plan a remedy.