New graveyard in the offing for capital

Capital to have first cemetery in rural area

ISLAMABAD:

Lack of graveyards and insufficient space in the existing cemeteries has emerged as one of the biggest problems residents of the federal capital in the recent past as they face difficulties to find a place to bury their loved ones.

Keeping the overcrowding of urban cemeteries of Islamabad in view, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority affairs, Ali Nawaz Awan, announced on Independence Day that the capital city will have its first CDA-approved cemetery in a rural area the next month.

The SAPM revealed that the new graveyard is being prepared on 10-acres (80 kanals) near Bhara Kahu and it will have a capacity of around 5,200 graves. The SAPM also said that the cemetery will have car parking, lighting, and water facilities, adding an ambulance would also be available to cater for funeral services.

Special assistant Awan said, “the graveyard is ready and would be in use in a month.” He said 50 per cent work is complete and the rest will soon be completed, adding that the cemetery in the rural area was a long-standing demand of the people.

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“There was no graveyard in the rural area of Islamabad,” Awan said, “in case of a death, people had to go back to their native towns for burying their loved ones because the existing cemeteries of Islamabad are running out of burial space.”

He added that the 10-acres acquired from CDA was being developed with funds from the local government.

The construction of the boundary and pathways of the cemetery will cost Rs27 million, Awan said, adding a tree plantation drive would also be carried out in the area.

According to a notification issued on June 25, 2020, the CDA had approved the site measuring 10 acres of land (reserved forest) for the graveyard adjacent to Mouza Kot Haythial (North), Murree Road, in Bhara Kahu in its meetings held in September 2019.

When questioned about the delay and using forest land for the purpose, the officials at the SAPM’s office said that the delay occurred because two separate tenders were issued for t construction work, adding that the CDA has considered all aspects before giving the land for the cemetery.

They said most of the time was consumed in levelling the area as it was a hilly area.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2021.