BMC shifts responsibility for cemeteries and crematoriums to ward offices

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a first, has decided to shift the responsibility of managing and maintaining cemeteries and crematoriums from the health department to individual ward offices.

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a first, has decided to shift the responsibility of managing and maintaining cemeteries and crematoriums from the health department to individual ward offices. This move was communicated through a circular issued by Bhushan Gagrani, the civic chief and administrator, on Monday.

Mumbai, India - January 05, 2023: BMC serves notice to take possession of part of the premises of St. Peters Church Seaside Cemetery and Bandra Jewish Cemetery lying within the regular line of the public street off Kadeshwari Mata Mandir Road, near Mount Mary Church, Bandra (West), in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, January 05, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Gagrani also called for a meeting with the assistant commissioners of all 25 administrative wards to discuss the new arrangement. While the responsibility for upkeep and maintenance will now lie with the wards, key functions like issuing death certificates, providing firewood for crematoriums, supplying shrouds for Muslim cemeteries, and determining burial charges will remain with the Executive Officer of Health (EOH).

The decision to transfer these duties to the wards came after Gagrani’s visit to the Dadar crematorium, where he observed a few lapses in facility management. Sometimes there are issues like lack of water and delayed repairs under the current system, where approval had to go through the Medical Officer of Health (MOH), prompted Gagrani to take action. According to a civic official, once Gagrani learned of the inefficiencies, he decided to issue the circular and implement the changes.

Gagrani confirmed this change to HT, stating, “Instead of the health department, we are directing ward offices to maintain these places.” Previously, the EOH was responsible for overseeing the maintenance of cemeteries and crematoriums on a central level. However, this responsibility will now be delegated to the assistant commissioners of the 24 wards.

A senior civic official explained that when proposals for redevelopment or repairs of cemeteries or crematoriums were submitted, they had to be sanctioned by the EOH, a body that lacked technical expertise in civil works, often leading to delays. By shifting the responsibility to the wards, which have engineers on staff, this process is expected to be more efficient.

Additionally, the assistant commissioners will now manage the budget for such projects, which had previously been under the EOH’s purview. An official from one of the wards commented that administrative approvals for repairs and redevelopment used to go through the EOH, which caused delays. Now, as per the new circular, all proposals and budgetary decisions will be handled at the ward level.

In addition to this restructuring, Gagrani has instructed the BMC’s IT department to develop an app for cemeteries and crematoriums that will provide real-time updates on facility availability. The app will allow citizens to access timely information about whether a cemetery or crematorium is open and its current facilities available, thereby preventing unnecessary trips.

Gagrani suggested this initiative to Sharad Ughade, the director of IT at BMC, to help grieving families avoid additional hardship. A civic official explained the potential impact of the app: “For example, if someone from Parle intends to visit Parsiwada Cemetery and finds it closed due to lack of facilities, this app will save them the trouble of making a needless trip during a difficult time.”