Kerala churches go for eco-friendly burials

Facing shortage of land to bury the dead, churches in Kerala are turning "green" with environment-friendly funeral practices.

Banning of coffins and prohibiting the construction of concrete tombs at graveyards are being made to tackle the shortage of land.

Families are encouraged to lay grasses as signs of burial than tomb stones with name-boards. Polluting things like plastic flowers, leather footwear and fancy fabrics are also banned on the corpses when they are buried.

The management of St Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Ernakulam district, which banned coffins and introduced vault system for burial, said space constraint forced them to go for radical changes.

"There are about 2,000 families in our congregation. Our 500-tomb cemetery is already full and we cannot think of expanding the burial ground further. So, the church thought about constructing vaults for burials," Fr Jose Chiramel, a former vicar, told PTI.

"Leather and plastic articles do not decay even after decades. Some families are keen to show their vanity in burial also. Costly coffins, made of expensive woods, also do not get assimilated into soil easily. These things create hurdles while digging new pits," Fr Chiramel was quoted saying.

Since March, burial is being done in a newly-built 180-vault complex, Fr Chiramel said.

Instead of coffins, specially-designed stretchers are used for bringing dead bodies to churches and for burial services.

The vaults are built according to the norms set by the Health department and can be reused. In addition, it can also be used free of cost.

While it is difficult for people to embrace the change, Fr Chiramel says the Church is trying to create awareness and build a consensus among parishioners on the sensitive matter.