BENGALURU: Once a quiet stretch shaded by tall trees, Cemetery Road in Langford Town has become a distressing sight. Outside St Patrick’s Cemetery, off Hosur Road — one of four burial grounds on Berlie Street Cross — rows of overflowing garbage trucks stand where mourners walk. Families coming to bid farewell to loved ones are forced to navigate piles of waste and refuse, as the air reeks of decay.
“It’s heartbreaking,” says Laila D’Silva, a Bengalurean. “For 60 years, I’ve visited this road to lay my family to rest. It used to be calm and green, a place that comforted the soul. Now, stench and filth have replaced the peace I always felt here.” The interior of St Patrick’s Cemetery remains serene, with leafy walkways, but just beyond its gates, garbage trucks are parked, litter spilling on to the road, and drivers arguing loudly.
According to Praveen Paul, a Shanthinagar resident, the problem began near the Hindu burial ground and slowly spread along the entire road. “Because there are no houses here, it’s become an easy dumping zone. All hygiene rules are ignored,” he says.
The growing distress among families moved Sarah Nathan, who recently attended her young cousin Vijay D’Souza’s funeral, to act. “I was shocked to see garbage outside such a beautiful cemetery,” she says. “Many residents have tried to change things, but nothing happened. I decided to start a petition — my small effort to bring dignity back.” Her petition calls on GBA to immediately relocate the trucks and enforce strict waste-management norms near sacred or community spaces. “It’s inspiring to see Hindus, Muslims and Christians unite,” Sarah adds.
When contacted, MLA NA Haris told TNIE: “We got the trucks cleared today. We will take action against any garbage truck driver who parks here.’’ Residents are pleading with the authorities to restore peace to Cemetery Road, to ensure that final resting places are treated with reverence.
