BENGALURU: Graveyards, the perfect setting for spooky tales till now, are going to be transformed into spaces to spend some pleasant time. The BBMP, under a long pending proposal to develop places for the dead and tap into their tourism potential, is planning to provide basic facilities for the people visiting their dear departed ones.
Mr Gunashekar, Chairman, BBMP Taxation and Finance, told Deccan Chronicle, "The BBMP maintains over 100 burial grounds of all faiths. One of the major complaints is that they are not maintained well and lack basic facilities like water and toilets. Maintaining burial grounds well is a Western concept. We may not be able to match those levels, but we will certainly try to come close to that model.”
He said, “A proposal to develop burial grounds and tap their tourism potential has been pending for long. We could not take it forward. As I head the Taxation and Finance Committee, we wish to explore how we can develop the graveyards, prepare a detailed project report and allot the needed funds.”
On the basic facilities to be provided, he said, “The relatives and friends of the dead who come to graveyards for the final rites do not have any decent place to take bath. Priests insist that those who take part in the last rites should also have bath. We are looking at providing facilities like bathrooms, toilets and drinking water.”
He said, “Under this burial ground tourism concept, we will build compounds around the premises and clean them regularly. We will plant trees and maintain them. We will provide proper lighting so that no anti-social activities are carried out in the night.”
Members of the BBMP Taxation and Finance Committee and officials from other civic bodies will visit some of the graveyards in the city on Tuesday (Jan 17) to get firsthand information on the prevailing condition before going ahead with burial ground tourism.
