Muslim burial grounds encroached in Hyderabad
Committees who manage graveyards don’t allow people from other localities to bury their dead
Hyderabad: Muslims might soon have to bury their dead in their own houses due to shortage of land, social activists say and demanded that the Wakf Board or some other government body should look into this issue.
“While shortage of land is a problem, another one is encroachment of graveyards for the construction of houses and commercial complexes,” said S.Q. Masood, a social activist from city.
Apart from this, committees who manage graveyards don’t allow people from other localities to bury their dead. This has led to several disputes, he said.
Due to scarcity, the price of land for burial has shot up. It takes anywhere between Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 to bury the dead now. Encroachers and graves have been co-existing at several places and at some places even colonies have been built.
Recently, a GHMC contractor was accused of grabbing graveyard land attached to Masjid-e-Subhani in Panjagutta and levelling was stopped after stiff resistance.
Portions of Fateh Darwaza Graveyard, the Aghapura graveyard and Biryani Shah-Tekri have also been encroached upon.