Take appropriate action regarding undecomposed bodies at Govandi graveyard: NHRC

NHRC directs action on partially decomposed bodies found at Mumbai graveyard. BMC shut down the graveyard on June 8 and directed people to use a neighboring graveyard.

Mumbai: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the district magistrate to take appropriate action within eight weeks regarding partially decomposed bodies found at Rafi Nagar graveyard in Govandi.

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HT on June 10 reported about the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shutting down the graveyard on June 8 after partially decomposed bodies were found while digging up to lay more bodies.

Usually, the minimum time required for decomposition is 18 months. The BMC had directed the people to use the neighbouring graveyard at Cheeta Camp in Trombay.

The NHRC direction comes in response to a complaint by Faiyaz Alam Shaikh of the NGO Govandi Citizens.

Faiyaz and other residents had alleged that the root of the issue lies with the soil, which is unfit for decomposition.

They demanded soil testing and an inquiry into the contractor behind the BMC graveyard, as well as a change of the soil.

As the closed graveyard has been posing an inconvenience to many Muslim residents in the area, the medical officer of health of the area said an ambulance for the transportation of bodies was posted at the cemetery. The area, where majority of the residents are Muslim, has only two other graveyards, proportionally inadequate, with several PILs ongoing for the opening of new graveyards.