Highlighting issues: Sanctity compromised: Miani Graveyard in deplorable condition

Drug addicts and criminals frequently visit place for smoking and betting

SARGODHA: Graveyards are considered as the final resting place for the dead and keeping their sanctity is the responsibility of both the people and the government. However, such is not the condition at Miani Graveyard or commonly known as ‘Talab Wala Qabristan’ which is located in Bhera Tehsil.

A visit to the area by Express News scribe revealed that the graveyard has been in a deplorable condition for some time and each passing day is adding to its ruins. Besides, the sanctity of the graves is being violated as a part of it is being used as a playground where area residents have constructed a pitch to play cricket.

In addition, most farmers also herd their cattle in the graveyard that munch on grass and plants resulting in disrespect of graves. A number of graves have been damaged while long weeds, wild plants and bushes have also covered most of the burial places.

With the passage of time, huge pits have developed at different places in the graveyard. These pits fill with water during rainy season which then leads to the cutting of the ground and hence damage the graves. The accumulated rainwater, mixed with sewage, has created difficulties for people residing near the site of the graveyard. The standing water is not only emitting a foul stench but it is also serving as a breeding place for mosquitoes and dengue larva. The water also makes it hard for people to walk and at times, it causes difficulties for those who come to bury their dead.

However, problems do not end here. People residing in the vicinity and adjoining areas have turned the graveyard into garbage dumping site. They throw garbage in its premises which give rise to flies and other insects, while cats and dogs could also been seen roaming in the graveyard in search of food.

The irony is that the boundary wall of the graveyard that was built to protect graves has been damaged and the district administration has failed to re-construct it despite provision of funds for development purposes.

Moreover, there is no regular gatekeeper or grave-digger to protect the graves. Drug addicts and criminals frequently visit the place and engage in smoking and betting. They also use the graveyard’s premises to sleep and hide from the police.  To make matters worse, the lights that were installed a few years ago at the graveyard have stopped functioning giving the entire place a haunted look.

While speaking to Express News, residents of Miani said that the authorities should address the problems at the earliest. They appealed the officials concerned to construct a wall around all the four corners of the graveyard with its top laced with a thorny wire so that animals and drug addicts can be prevented from entering the graveyard.

They also demanded that wild plants should be cut down and the cricket pitch inside the graveyard should be erased. They added that small and large pits should be filled with sand, while proper arrangements of lights must be ensured to facilitate holding of funerals at night.

When contacted, Bhera Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Rafiq told Express News that he did not had knowledge of the dilapidated condition of the graveyard. “I will personally visit the place and will take all measures to address the problem as soon as possible,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2018.