Nearly two years after land was allotted for a Catholic burial ground in Sector 58 near Ghata village, the cemetery still lacks a proper approach road. A 75-metre stretch leading to the site remains unpaved, forcing ambulances and mourners to navigate a dusty, uneven track to reach the facility.
Shared Access with Muslim Graveyard
The same stretch also serves Anjuman Bagiya, a Muslim graveyard established in 2004 near the cemetery site. People visiting the kabristan, managed by Haryana Anjuman Charitable Trust, also rely on the partially unpaved road for access.
Monsoon Woes and Congestion
Residents and church representatives said the situation worsens during the monsoon, when the stretch becomes waterlogged and nearly inaccessible. They added that repeated representations to authorities have failed to yield a solution. Access is further hindered by congestion around Banjara Market, where roadside parking and heavy crowds create bottlenecks for ambulances carrying bodies to the cemetery.
“The stretch leading to the burial ground remains unpaved, dusty and uneven, making it challenging for ambulances and mourners to reach the site, especially during funerals. We have raised the issue with civic authorities multiple times, but no permanent solution has been provided so far,” said Fr Thomas Blessin.
Background of Land Allotment
The land for the burial ground was allotted by HSVP in 2016 after Delhi Catholic Archdiocese requested a separate burial facility for Catholic Christians in the city in 2012. Although possession of the land was handed over to the church in June 2016, the site remained inaccessible for years due to encroachments and resistance from locals, which also delayed construction of a boundary wall.
In November 2023, the church approached Punjab and Haryana high court seeking directions for removal of encroachments and possession of the allocated land. HSVP subsequently carried out an eviction drive in 2024 and cleared the site before handing it over for the establishment of the burial ground.
Ongoing Infrastructure Challenges
Church representatives said that while the land has now been secured and the burial ground is operational, the absence of basic infrastructure such as a paved approach road continues to create difficulties for the community.
“Every time a vehicle passes through the stretch, thick dust rises because the road is still unpaved. People attending funerals, especially elderly family members, have to walk on uneven ground to reach the cemetery. Even ambulances struggle to move smoothly on the kaccha patch. It is difficult to understand why such a basic approach road has still not been constructed despite the burial ground being operational,” said a member of the Catholic community.
HSVP Official Response
An HSVP official said an 18-metre-wide road with a planned length of around 175 metres was proposed to provide access to the cemetery. “Of this, nearly 100 metres has already been paved, while work on the remaining 75 metres is stalled due to pending litigation in the high court. The estate officer-II has been directed to actively pursue the matter for an early resolution. At present, we are unable to construct the remaining stretch and any attempt to do so also faces resistance from locals. More than 100 land-related cases in the city have already been resolved, and efforts are underway to address this issue as well at the earliest,” the official said.
