By Kisean Joseph
A potential crisis is brewing in relation to burials if the new cemetery at Tomlinson’s is not opened, or an alternative burial site is not made available immediately.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the island is facing an unprecedented burial space crisis, with major public cemeteries reaching maximum capacity and families struggling to find final resting places for their loved ones.
According to the source, the Lambert’s Cemetery in New Winthorpes has reached maximum capacity and is unable to accommodate any more burials.
The source cited challenges with rocky terrain at that burial site that prevents the standard six-foot depth for graves. Burials at Lamberts commenced during the first week of January this year.
The source told the Observer that the St John’s Public Cemetery, also filled to capacity, has only one burial space left.
“There’s no space at the cemetery unless you had family plots that are already pre-bought,” the source explained.
While the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister Lionel Hurst attributes development delays at the new burial site at Tomlinson’s to unfavorable weather conditions, grave diggers have reportedly encountered disturbing situations while attempting to create new burial spaces.
“We have been digging up looking for spots because the demand for burials is there,” the source revealed. “Sometimes what is being reported is that when the diggers think they’ve found an okay spot, they’re finding previous burials where the bodies are still fully clothed and haven’t decomposed yet.”
There have already been over 300 burials so far for the year and the demand for burial sites continues to grow.
While government officials have promised solutions, including the potential land acquisition near Valley Church, the source expressed skepticism about these plans. The cemetery at that location is also filled to capacity, and was filled up very fast after it became available.
The source said that recommendations were made for the compulsory acquisition of land in Valley Church to be used as a burial site, but there has not been even an acknowledgment of the letter, reportedly written by the chief health inspector.
The crisis has broader implications for funeral services and family planning, with a source saying that the burial site is announced in the church during the actual day of the funeral.
The source suggested that families might need to keep their deceased loved ones in funeral homes longer, though this is only a temporary solution. However, more dramatic measures might be necessary.
“Maybe the government might have to start making people bury their dead in their backyard,” the source said, while acknowledging this would require new legislation.
There have also been reports of periodic shortages of burial plot markers, with workers sometimes having to rely on temporary solutions.
“We just put down a little marker, so we can remember. And when we get the stakes, we just go, pull them up, and replace them with the proper stakes,” the source said.
