The Marve-Malad Road Cemetery, a resting place shared by Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, stands divided by walls, but it’s the Christian burial section that now presents a grim, distressing sight for those visiting their departed loved ones.
In Mumbai, due to a severe space crunch, Christian families have only two types of graves to choose from: permanent and temporary. Permanent graves have sharply declined over the years because of soaring costs and a lack of land. Temporary graves, on the other hand, are exhumed after 18 months, with the remains placed in small vaults called niches inside the cemetery.
However, at the Marve-Malad Road Cemetery, there’s just one wall with around 500 niches, all of which are now full. With no new vaults available, the remains from exhumed graves are reportedly being collected in plastic bags along with their wooden crosses and kept against the boundary wall. Many of these bags have torn over time, leaving human bones exposed to the open.
The well at the Marve-Malad Road Cemetery, where exhumed remains are now being placed due to a lack of space. Pic/Madhulika Ram Kavattur
“It’s heartbreaking to see this,” said Samson David Anthony, a local whose family members are buried there. “On November 2, we observed All Souls’ Day, when people come to remember and pray for their loved ones. This is not something anyone should have to see on such a day.”
Anthony said he has been repeatedly reaching out to the authorities for months. “The BMC has ignored all our requests. I’ve even had to approach local MLAs just to get a few dustbins placed temporarily before All Souls’ Day”.
With no space left even along the walls, locals claim the cemetery workers now toss the remains into a well at the far end of the burial ground, along with their respective crosses. “We can’t discard the remains entirely, and we can’t leave them scattered either,” said Anthony. “The well has become the only place left. People at least come here to pray.”
Resident Samson David Anthony, whose family members are buried at the Marve-Malad Road Cemetery. Pic/Madhulika Ram Kavattur
Calling the situation deeply disturbing, Fr Daniel Fernandes from the Infant Jesus Church in Jogeshwari East said, “Dignity is important even in death. The civic body must immediately build more niches and ensure proper handling of the remains.”
Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, who has written to the BMC about the issue, said, “This is extremely insensitive. Families visiting their loved ones are being forced to see bones lying in plastic bags. The civic body must act fast.” mid-day contacted the BMC P North ward and the health department seeking comment on the lack of burial infrastructure and the public health implications of exposed remains.
BMC Speak
Sharad Ughade, deputy municipal commissioner (Health), said, “At the Marve Christian Cemetery, an average of 500 to 550 bodies are buried every year. All 500 niches are currently full, and there is no provision for constructing new ones due to lack of space. The bodies are exhumed after 18 months, and the remains are kept safely until relatives claim them. Unclaimed remains are respectfully disposed of within the cemetery premises.”
