Thane Civic Body Urges Collector To Transfer Key Kalwa Land For Burial Grounds Amid Court Directive

Mumbai: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has asked the local District Collector to transfer of a key government land parcel in Kalwa, citing mounting pressure to develop critical public utilities, including burial and cremation facilities, as mandated under the city’s development framework.

TMC Seeks Kalwa Land for Crematorium and Cemetery

In a formal communication, the civic body has sought the transfer the plot already designated in both approved and draft development plans for essential amenities, including burial grounds, a crematorium, recreational spaces, and road infrastructure.

The land, currently recorded in the name of the Government of Maharashtra, had been partially handed over to TMC in 2010 on an advance possession basis to prevent encroachments. Subsequent joint surveys involving revenue, police, and municipal authorities reaffirmed the reservations attached to the plot.

However, administrative inconsistencies persisted, including a temporary allocation to the Superintendent of Police (Rural), Thane, which was later reversed in official records in 2023.

Plot Reserved for Cemetery, Garden, and Road

TMC has underscored that the land remains reserved for public use, with the draft development plan earmarking it for a crematorium extension, burial ground, cemetery, garden, and a 12-metre-wide development plan road.

The demand for immediate action has sharpened following representations from multiple community groups. Organisations such as Maulana Azad Milli Prabodhini and Jama Masjid Trust, Kalwa, have called for the allocation of space for a Muslim burial ground. Simultaneously, the St Anthony of Padua Cemetery Trust and the Association of Concerned Christians, Thane, have sought land for a Christian cemetery.

The Thane Citizen Foundation has also formally backed these demands.

Crucially, the move is backed by recent directions from the Bombay High Court in February 2026 in ongoing public interest litigations, adding legal weight to the civic body’s request.

Christian Community Welcomes Court Order

"We are awaiting the possession and permission to bury the loved ones at Kalwa cemetery one of 11 plots reserved for Christian cemeteries , We mentioned in our Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and also CJI given the final order to expedite the same on February 26," said Melwyn Fernandes, the petitioner in the PIL and secretary of Association of Concerned Christians.

TMC has urged the state government to expedite the land transfer, warning that further delays could hamper the timely creation of essential civic infrastructure in the rapidly growing Kalwa region.

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