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Conversely, the problem being faced at this time is that there appears to be inadequate land space on which to continue building, in keeping with the demands from funeral parlour operators.
This is attributed to the fast growing increase in numbers in the ‘departure lounge’ for eternity on a daily basis (as an officer of the municipality once quipped).
As a result, a crisis now appears to be looming, since it now appears that land on which burials were done just a few years ago are now being re-used for the construction of new tombs.
This new and disturbing development is causing much uneasiness amongst city dwellers, who now want to know the following: “Who allocated spots already used, or authorized the desecration of their dead (buried not so long ago) in order that new tombs could be constructed for other bodies?
Officials at City Hall are mum on this issue, and staff at three named funeral parlours in the ‘brisk tomb construction’ business would prefer not to speak with the media. Meantime, this newspaper has unsuccessfully been trying to get from City Hall a comment on the situation over the last two weeks.
Several years ago, the idea of selling spots not yet used for burying the dead was mooted by City Hall. This suggestion was raised as part of plans for the beautification of Le Repentir. And though the question of eventually re-using lands on which bodies were buried might have been also raised, this matter is probably yet to be finalized, since it can have serious health implications, depending on the time of burial; the diseases that might have caused the persons’ deaths; and a whole host of other implications can be involved.
Previously, the Georgetown Municipality’s staffers at the Sexton’s Office in Le Repentir Cemetery were responsible for identifying and selling spots on which the dead were to be buried; as well digging and preparing spots for tombs, which were eventually built by employees of the respective funeral parlours.
The Sexton’s employee, being wholly responsible for allocating and preparing spots, had a good knowledge of the outlay of the cemetery: what spots were used, where and when; as well as what spots were never used.
So organized was the system that, at anytime at all, one wishing to locate a loved one’s place of burial could have been escorted by staff, who are usually guided by a plan of the cemetery and records in which the information was stored.
However, the planning committee for the beautification of Le Repentir subsequently decided that funeral parlours should take responsibility for the ‘whole package’ – buying the burial spot, taking care of the grave digging, constructing the tomb, and burying the deceased.
And while this might be the new system in place, there is nothing to suggest that the Sexton’s Office no longer has a Plan of Le Repentir, or records to tell definitively when last any specific area in the cemetery would have been used for burial.
But while officers at City Hall are now clamming up on the media, and would give no answers to the questions asked, the fact of the matter is that, right amidst the new tombs being constructed by the parlour operators through their masons, there are old tombs on which dates of burial have been inscribed.
Meanwhile, amazed at this disconcerting development, citizens who feel that their loved ones are not being given a chance to “rest in peace” (RIP) would like answers to questions such as: “Who allocated the spots for this new round of tomb construction?” and “Just who authorized the desecration of their dead”, resting on spots for which they (the relatives) would have paid?
They are, moreover, hoping that their loved ones’ sunken tombs have not been used as foundation for new structures.
Finally, citizens would like City Hall to allay all fears that their dead might not be resting in peace.
