GCC Introduces New Rules for Private Burial Grounds Registration!
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has established new rules for the registration of private burial grounds, following a resolution passed on Friday. A committee has been formed to outline regulations for outsourced burial sites, mandating that no residential structures or public water bodies exist within a 30-meter radius.
For ownership requests, applicants must either own the land or possess a legally registered permission from the landowner. The land must be designated as a burial ground in Revenue department records, or the applicant must obtain a No Objection Certificate from the district collector.
Additional requirements include that the location should not be entirely within a primary or mixed residential zone and must have an access road at least 30 feet wide, with a minimum area of 0.5 acres. The compound wall must be at least 6 feet high, and operational hours are set from 6 am to 6 pm, with no cremations allowed after 6 pm.
The registration fee for ownership is Rs 500 for one cent of land, with renewal fees of Rs 100 per cent every three years. For existing grounds, the expansion fee is Rs 500 per cent for three years.
VCK councillor K Ambeth Valavan expressed concerns that this implementation could lead to discrimination in burial practices, advocating for the Corporation to manage burial grounds in the city.
