A rift is growing within the Christian community over Covid-19 burials as cemeteries are running out of space. Parishes are also said to be at odds over the burial of Covid-19 fatalities from other denominations.
Describing the situation as being “difficult”, Archbishop Rev Dr Peter Machado said that cemeteries within the city are full, and that apartments around graveyards are opposing efforts to bury people who die of Covid-19.
“The situation is worsening because initially we had 10-12 Covid-19 victims among the Christian community, but we are now getting two to three bodies every day,” he said.
In several instances, Christian families have opted for cremation even though it is against their faith due to the non-availability of grave sites.
The NGO Mercy Angels — which has been sanctioned by the government to transport Covid-19 bodies to crematoriums and cemeteries — said it knows of several such cases.
“We have had parish priests refusing to take in bodies because of fear that Covid-19 will spread from the body,” said Mohammed Ismail, coordinator for the NGO.
“Local residents have also opposed burials. There are no volunteers or labourers to dig graves. There is no support. This problem is usually not encountered when a body is being buried in a Muslim cemetery.”
The logistics of introducing new graves is at the heart of the problem when it comes to burying Covid-19 fatalities.
“We cannot make space in between existing graves,” explained Kanthraj, Public Relations Officer for the Archdiocese. “Covid-19 bodies require a grave which is at least 12 feet deep, which is a difficult undertaking in existing cemeteries where graves are placed near each other.”
He also ruled out the possibility of bringing in a bulldozer to excavate. “Manual digging is also out of the question as the earthen walls are thin because of adjoining graves, and can cave in,” said Kanthraj.
According to the archbishop, “even among non-Covid deaths, families are only allowed to bury within family plots”.
“No new plots are allotted,” the archbishop said, adding that the only solution is for the government to sanction a five-acre cemetery plot outside the city.
“We have been requesting this for the last two years, but there has been scant response from the government. Now, with Covid-19, we are on the verge of running out of space,” he said.
When asked about the denominational differences, which were prompting some bodies to be turned away from certain cemeteries, the archbishop agreed that this is indeed an issue, but that it had been fixed.
"I have stressed that we are all in this together,” he said.
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