BMC to hand over cemetery management 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.

- Linah Baliga

MUMBAI:

This move was communicated through a circular issued by Bhushan Gagrani, the civic chief and administrator, on Monday.

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.