Christian community flags issue of lack of burial space

BBMP urged to allot five acres on the city’s outskirts

With COVID-19 deaths on the rise, Christian community in Bengaluru has flagged the issue of shortage of burial places for those succumbing to the infection. The Archdiocese of Bangalore has appealed to the civic body to immediately allot five acres on the city’s outskirts. In Kalpalli cemetery, one of the largest burial grounds for Catholics, 54 bodies were buried in March while 45 have been buried so far this month. In Mysuru Road cemetery, also for Catholics, two burials are taking place daily on an average since March. The Hosur Road cemetery that is open for all denominations is also reporting an average of three or four burials a day. These numbers since March exceed the normal monthly average of about 10 to 15 burials in the city while the community already faces a huge space constraint. “While last year average deaths reported was about 50 a month, this has increased to over 100 deaths since March this year,” a senior functionary in the Archdiocese said.