Resistance by communities on the outskirts of the city to plots being identified for burial grounds has forced the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to look for other sites.
Apart from 11 acres identified earlier, the district administration has identified 12 acres in villages in Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Anekal and Yelahanka taluks.
Earlier in July, the authorities had identified 35 acres and 18 guntas for burial grounds in Dasanapura in Bengaluru North taluk, Uttarahalli and Tavarekere hoblis in Bengaluru South taluk, Jigani in Anekal taluk, and Jala and Hesaraghatta hoblis in Yelahanka taluk.
These lands were identified following complaints about bodies of COVID-19 victims being buried in the vicinity of residential areas in the city. At that time, Health Minister B. Sriramulu had stated that land on the city’s outskirts would be identified for the purpose.
At the BBMP council, civic chief N. Manjunath Prasad said many communities living around the plots identified for burial grounds had expressed reservations. Despite officials trying to convince them that there is no chance of spread of COVID-19 once the body is buried, residents had opposed the move, forcing the authorities to look for new land.
The district administration has retained four acres in Giddenahalli (survey number 80), Dasanapura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, four acres in Gulikamale (survey number 35), Uttarahalli hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, and three acres in Giddenahalli (survey number 23), Jigani hobli, Anekal taluk.
Sources said authorities were also in the process of identifying more land in Bengaluru Urban district for burial grounds, sources added.
At the last BBMP council, Mr Prasad pointed out that four electric crematoriums had been identified for the cremation of COVID-19 victims. As per standard operating procedure, bodies of COVID-19 victims have to be buried in 10-feet deep pits. “There are nearly 150 burial grounds in the city,” he said.
