New Delhi: Heavy rains in the Capital for the past three days have caused several graves to collapse in Batla House graveyard, the biggest in Okhla.
The downpour has weakened the burial grounds, causing some graves and headstones to sink in and some memorials placed on the graves to wash away due to flooding.
Many newly placed graves have loose soil in and around them and air pockets are formed around them. It is a natural phenomenon and practically unavoidable, especially during monsoon. After an event of excessive or prolonged rainfall, ground subsidence is very likely to occur in such graveyards.
When Zaheer, a local resident visited his father's grave in Batla House, he was shocked to find the grave caved in and collapsed.
The whole graveyard has now turned lush green, with growth of algae and weeds making it almost impossible to reach a particular grave in the muddy graveyard.
"My father's grave has caved in. I am being told that this has happened due to excessive rainfall, which has somehow loosened the soil and caused the grave to settle in," said Zaheer.
Shakeel, the graveyard caretaker, said, "This is a natural phenomenon. Close to 30-40 graves have caved in. This happens more with the recently made graves, as the soil is not firm and easily settles in. Any maintenance would be done after the rainy season," he said.
Some are putting up plastic sheets on the graves as a precautionary measure and to avoid rainwater from making its way inside the grave.