Residents object to dog and cat burials at Parsi cemetery

Residents of a Parsi housing colony have complained that the Tower of Silence cemetery at Malabar Hill is being used to bury pet animals.

Residents of a Parsi housing colony have complained that the Tower of Silence cemetery at Malabar Hill is being used to bury pet animals.

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The complaints have come after residents of the housing colony noticed two pets being buried last week. Community members said the cemetery called Doongerwadi, which is the resting place for humans, cannot be used to bury animals. “Only our holy varasyaji, the holy bull with not a single black hair, is allowed to be buried at Doongerwadi because we worship it. However, the land around Doongerwadi is being used for burial of dogs and cats, which shouldn’t be allowed,” said a resident of Godrej Baug, a community housing colony located on the boundary of the cemetery.

Another resident said they have complained to the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), the apex Zoroastrian trust that manages the cemetery and community housing estates in the city.

BPP trustees said Godrej Baug residents have used Doongerwadi land for pet burials and they do not require permission for burial from them. “We cannot really take objection if people want to bury their pets in the vicinity of their house. It is a matter of emotional attachment after all,” said Kersi Randeria, a BPP trustee.

Assistant commissioner of D ward, under whose jurisdiction the Doongerwadi falls, said that in cemeteries that fall under BMC, there is a separate place for burial of human and animal bodies. “Considering that Doongerwadi is a private land, we do not really know if the trustees are permitting the burial of animals on their land. If a tree has been cut, we will take cognisance of it,” said Prashant Gaikwad, ward officer.