Maha restricts deletion of cemetery from urban DP
Mumbai: The state govt has issued directions under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act to all urban local bodies not to delete reservations for cemeteries/burial grounds from their development plans (DP). Any change of reservation of a plot reserved for cemeteries/burial grounds or deletion of such a reservation will now require cabinet approval.
Maharashtra has 29 municipal corporations, 232 municipal councils, and 125 Nagar Panchayats. In an order issued early this month, the state
urban development
department (UDD) observed that several urban local bodies have issued notices under section 37(1) of the MRTP for modification of their DP to delete reservations for cemeteries/burial grounds. Section 37(1) empowers the Planning Authority to modify a final DP, but only if the changes do not alter the plan's overall character. Also, these proposals are being submitted to the govt for its approval.
A senior govt official said the deletion of reservation for cremation/burial grounds is being increasingly sought from smaller municipal corporations and councils. "Often, these reservations are put on plots owned by private persons. Many do not want this reservation. We received proposals seeking change of use to Green Zone, Sewage Treatment Plant, and also deletion," said the official. The order states that as population in areas of urban local bodies is continuously increasing, reservation of graveyards/burial grounds is made in the development plan. "Exclusion of such reservations from DP deprives local citizens of the facility, hurts the religious sentiments of citizens, and creates law and order issues."
The order further states that in public interest, the govt has issued a directive under section 154 of the
MRTP Act
to prevent encroachment on existing graveyards and burial grounds, not to regularise encroachment no matter how old it is, and no change to be made to reservation.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now
Tips and Tricks
Undo
Advocate Gayatri Singh said a particular process is followed by local bodies before reservations are placed in a DP and a similar procedure is to be followed to delete/change a reservation. "By issuing such a directive, state govt is taking away the rights of local bodies and is opening doors for change/deletion of other reservations. It is completely illegal," she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Declare wild pigs as vermin in conflict zones, Kerala asks Centre in fresh appeal
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has once again written to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav reiterating the State's key demands to address the increasing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in Kerala. The State's demands chiefly include an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the declaration of wild pigs as vermin, at least temporarily in identified hotspots. The renewed appeal comes in the light of a letter from the Union Ministry, explaining the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, particularly those pertaining to hunting animals listed under Schedules I and II. 'Limits powers' Arguing that these limited the powers of the Chief Wildlife Warden and hampered timely action, Mr. Saseendran also flagged the ambiguity in the definition of the term 'dangerous animal' in the Act. Highlighting the growing threats posed by wild animals in human habitats, he emphasised the impracticality of the current procedures. He pointed out that due to these constraints, the Forest department had been unable to act swiftly, thereby intensifying the conflict and endangering human lives and livelihoods. He also proposed simplifying the Standard Operating Procedures for eliminating dangerous animals. The State has also called for declaring wild pigs as vermin in villages identified as hotspots. 'Such a declaration, even if limited to a duration of six months, would greatly facilitate site-specific management of the species in these areas and contribute significantly to mitigate the ongoing human-wildlife conflicts,' the letter states. The government also renewed its demand for an assistance of ₹620 crore to implement preventive measures to tackle the unfolding crisis.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Macron reignites Rafale vs F-35 debate, calls for European self reliance in defence with his social media post
French President Emmanuel Macron , who on numerous occasion has called on Europe to take an independent stand on security without the aid of the United States of America, once again on Friday (June 20, 2025) pushed for the Rafale jets as a symbol of strategic autonomy and self reliance in defence platforms. Without explicitly asking Europe to lessen its dependence on American combat aircraft and firepower, Macron posted a photo of the French Rafale jet on X with the caption: "European friends, you have a call", during his visit to the Paris Airshow. The photo in the post showed the screen of a mobile phone with the Rafale flying. On the top was the word "mobile" and just below it was "Rafale is calling", signalling a telephone call. Below the jet were two icons - the one on the left was a clock with the caption "Remind Me" and on the right was the speech icon with the word "Message". At the bottom of the photo was a green telephone receiver icon like the one visible on a mobile when someone calls with the message "Secure our Europe" written besides it. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Undo — EmmanuelMacron (@EmmanuelMacron) The French-made 4.5 generation fighter has been projected as a symbol of French pride and a crowning jewel of its defense industry. Live Events You Might Also Like: The reason why Donald Trump left G7 early: Miffed with Emmanuel Macron and did not want to meet Zelenskyy Macron vs Trump Macron's post comes a few months after he proposed to extend the French nuclear umbrella to other European nations after US President Donald Trump stated that NATO allies should increase their defense spendings, and also hinted that he may pull out of the military alliance. The two leaders have not had a warm relationship ever since Trump returned to power as the US President in January 2025. While Trump has been pushing for a reduced US role in ensuring Europe's security even as the Russia-Ukraine war rages on, Macron has time and again expressed his intention of seeing a self-reliant continent. France has also aggressively marketed the Rafale jets as an alternative to the more expensive fifth generation American F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter to nations keep on modernizing their defence forces. Apart from the French Air Force and Navy, the Rafale fighters are in service with the air forces of India , Croatia, Greece, Qatar , and the United Arab Emirates. Serbia and Indonesia have also placed orders with Dassault Aviation for the combat aircraft. You Might Also Like: Truth will shock many: Dassault CEO tears down Pakistan's fantasy of shooting down Indian Rafales While Rafale is a 4.5 generation fighter with a reduced cross section area, the F-35 boasts of stealth features making is extremely tough to detect. Defined as an omnirole aircraft by its makers Dassault, the twin engine, single-seater Rafale is built for air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, and anti-ship strike missions. The jet can also be used to drop nuclear bombs. The single-engine multirole F-35 has one pilot and can be deployed for air superiority, ground attack, and electronic warfare missions.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 60, half near aid centres
Gaza's civil defence agency said 31 Palestinian aid seekers were among at least 60 people killed Friday by Israeli forces, the latest in a string of deadly incidents near aid distribution sites. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five people were killed while waiting for aid in the southern Gaza Strip and 26 others near a central area known as the Netzarim corridor, an Israeli-controlled strip of land that bisects the Palestinian territory. Thousands of Palestinians have gathered there daily in the hope of receiving food rations, as famine looms across Gaza after more than 20 months of war. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 한포진 퍼지기 전에 꼭 관리하세요. (+경험담) 바른정보 Undo The Israeli army told AFP that its troops in the Netzarim area had first fired "warning shots" at "suspects" approaching them. When the individuals continued advancing, "an aircraft struck and eliminated the suspects in order to remove the threat," the army said. Live Events Similar incidents have occurred in that area regularly since late May, when the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation opened its distribution centres, as Israel eased a two-month aid blocakde. The privately run foundation's operations in Gaza have been marred by chaotic scenes. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Elsewhere in the territory on Friday, Bassal said 14 people were killed in two separate strikes in and around the central city of Deir el-Balah, and 13 others in three Israeli air strikes in the Gaza City area. One of those strikes, which killed three people, hit a phone charging station in the city, Bassal said. In southern Gaza, two people were killed "by Israeli gunfire" in two separate incidents, he added. Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency. The armed wing of Palestinian miliant group, Al-Quds Brigades , said on Friday it had targeted an Israeli military post in the southern city of Khan Yunis, claiming "dead and wounded" Israeli troops as a result. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military did not comment. Much of Khan Yunis, like vast areas across Gaza, is under Israeli military evacuation orders.
