– Minister Manickchand outlines national plan to improve public cemeteries

MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand has announced that the rehabilitation of the Bourda Burial Ground on Regent Street forms part of a wider national push to establish minimum standards and improve public cemeteries and burial grounds across Guyana.
Manickchand recently visited the historic cemetery, where a major clean-up and restoration exercise is underway after years of heavy overgrowth and deterioration left several areas inaccessible.
Work carried out over the past several days has included the clearing of dense vegetation and accumulated debris, restoration of the perimeter fence, improvement of pathways and the general beautification of the grounds.
Special care is also being taken to ensure that graves and monuments are respected and protected throughout the rehabilitation process.
During her visit, Manickchand said the transformation at the Bourda Burial Ground was already significant.
“You couldn’t even see into the cemetery before because it was so taken over by bush and a jungle, really, in the city,” the minister said.
She explained, however, that the initiative is not limited to the Georgetown cemetery, with the ministry examining burial grounds throughout the country as part of efforts to establish and maintain minimum standards.
“We’re not doing this only for Bourda. All across the country, we’re looking at cemeteries and burial grounds that have minimum standards,” Manickchand said.
According to the minister, those standards include regular maintenance, proper fencing, adequate washroom facilities and conditions that allow persons to comfortably visit and pay their respects to loved ones.
“We want people to be able to go in and pay their respects to their loved ones and for these spaces to be pleasant and not carry with them more of the morose nature of death generally,” she explained.
Manickchand also drew a distinction between public and private burial grounds, noting that while the ministry is directly undertaking improvements to public cemeteries, it is prepared to share its proposed standards with owners and managers of private burial grounds, including churches and families.
“This is all part of the beautification and restoration of Guyana and our public spaces,” she said.
“We’re bringing back some order and making these spaces pleasant so that people who have to use them can feel respected and feel that they’re part of the process.”
The restoration of the Bourda Burial Ground is among several initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development to improve public spaces while preserving sites of historical, cultural and community significance.
The ongoing works are expected to transform the once heavily overgrown cemetery into a cleaner, safer and more dignified environment for families and other visitors.