Bandung lacks space for burials

Bandung lacks space for burials

BANDUNG: The West Java capital of Bandung lacks open space for
public cemeteries, an official said here on Thursday.

The head of the Bandung burial service agency, Goesti Djafar,
said the administration had tried to acquire more land for
burials over the past 10 years, but to no avail.

"We need an additional 2.4 hectares per annum for graveyards,
based on the fact that an average of 6,000 people die every year,
or between 15 and 17 per day," Goesti said.

He said existing graveyards had not been optimally used
because relatives of the deceased did not take care of the graves
and failed to pay dues.

The town now has 13 cemeteries in which there are some 390,000
graves occupying more than 12,000 hectares of land. (25/sur)