Smaller tombs for the dead

BOGOR: The dead can no longer have big tombs here as the Bogor Sanitation and Cemetery Agency has limited the size of graves to 18 square meters.

Head of the agency, Dodi Rosadi, said on Tuesday that Chinese- Indonesians used to be allowed to rent unlimited space for a grave as long as they could afford it. But a new bylaw was issued recently due to limited available space, Antara reported.

The regulation also bans private cemeteries.

Some Chinese-Indonesians believe they must look after the spirit of the dead and therefore often build mausoleums.

The agency also regulates the construction of graves because one which is cemented could disrupt water catchment, he said. The agency is also considering issuing a regulation on the use of one grave for three bodies.

The rent for a grave measuring 2.5 meters by 1.5 meters is between Rp 30,000 and Rp 100,000 a year, depending on the location.

But if the deceased was not a Bogor resident, the rent is between Rp 120,000 and Rp 200,000. --JP