Private Burial Grounds Get Approval In Chennai. Check Terms And Conditions

These organisations will have to pay a license fee of ₹500 per cent of land and must renew the license every three years. They also must provide water, toilets and parking facilities.

Some councillors feared that the move would create caste discrimination.

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The Greater Chennai Corporation has allowed the issuance of trade licences for operating private burial grounds and crematoriums in the city to "ease" overcrowding, The Times of India reported. Even though the booking charges are yet to be decided, councillors of the CPI, CPM and VCK opposed the move as they feared that the decision would create caste discrimination. The Corporation has laid down several rules for the issuance of licences.

What Will Be The Rules?

• Private burial grounds will not be permitted in primary residential zones and mixed residential zones.
• The road to access the private burial ground should be 30 feet wide for issuance of the licence.
• The minimum area required to set up a private burial ground is 0.5 acres.
• The private burial ground will be permitted 30 metres away from residential buildings.
• The private agencies will be permitted to keep the burial grounds open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.  
• These organisations will have to pay a license fee of ₹500 per cent of land and must renew the license every three years.
• They must maintain a log of all the deceased.
• Operators must provide drinking water, a resting area, toilets, and a parking facilty.

Councillors, while opposing the move, said separate burial grounds are likely to be created by private agencies funded by caste groups. VCK councillor from Ward 45 Elam Che Guvera said the resolution was expected to promote discrimination, the New Indian Express said. CPI Councillor R. Jayaraman said private burial grounds are likely to collect exorbitant charges from the family members for the cremation.

VCK councillor C Ambethvalavan said if a specific community builds a burial ground, they may restrict access to others, as seen in some districts where people from different castes aren't even allowed to use the approach roads to community graveyards. "Although the corporation has established numerous guidelines, there is not a single line mentioning that there should not be any separation in graveyards based on caste or religion," CPI councillor M Renuka said.