Residents of south Delhi will soon be able to bury their pets at a designated burial ground without any hassle.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation(SDMC) has decided to create a burial ground exclusively for pet animals. The ground will come up at Maidan Garhi in a 1,000 square metre area, senior officials said.
A senior SDMC official confirmed that considering the problem of lack of space for the burial of pet animals, the civic body has decided that burial and cremation facilities should be provided for pet animals.
“The plot has been identified and we are awaiting the final approval of the land from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), after which we will start the work of developing the space into a scientific burial and cremation spot,” the official said.
Rituals, ceremonies
The official also added that along with burial space, the pet owners will also be given the option of cremating their pets. Facilities will also be developed for owners who want to bid goodbye to their pets with rituals and ceremonies.
“At present, if a pet dies the owner has no other option but to find some space in the open to bury them. This is neither convenient nor healthy. In this burial ground we are developing scientific systems to dispose of the body,” the official said.
Though there are several non-profit organisations across the city that provide burial facilities for pet animals, this will be the first-of-its-kind government burial ground for pets.
Another official from the Animal Husbandry department of the SDMC, which will be developing the space once the land is approved, said it was observed that several bodies of pets were being buried on the banks of the Yamuna.
This was not only spreading stench, but was also becoming a cause of health hazard for the residents living nearby.
“We are considering that if such a space is developed then we will also have the option of burying the animals found dead on roads,” the official said.
