KMC to build five new graveyards in Karachi

Karachi may run out of burial space by 2040 if urgent measures are not taken, as a severe shortage of graveyards continues to deepen.

In response, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has decided to establish four major graveyards of 500 acres each on the city’s outskirts, along with a new 25-acre cemetery within the city limits.

The Sindh government has given principled approval to the proposal and is expected to finalize it soon.

The development comes after repeated warnings that almost all graveyards in Karachi have reached capacity, presenting a growing challenge for the city’s residents.

According to sources, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab supported the proposal, after which the provincial government authorized KMC to acquire land at various locations.

A senior official stated that four sites of approximately 500 acres each have been earmarked for KMC-operated graveyards in the suburbs.

A 25-acre site within the city, near Shahrah-e-Bhutto, has also been proposed and is awaiting formal approval from the Sindh government.

Out of these allotted cemeteries, 46 fall under KMC, while others are managed by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), various cantonment boards, government institutions, social organizations, community groups, and private entities.

Officials revealed that due to complaints of old graves being demolished to create space, KMC has imposed burial bans in several major cemeteries—such as the Society Graveyard near Tariq Road, Model Colony, Paposh Nagar, Korangi No. 6, Yaseenabad, and Azeempura graveyards. However, enforcement remains far from effective.

They further admitted that deteriorating conditions and weak law enforcement have turned many cemeteries into safe havens for drug dealers and criminal elements.

Another official highlighted the growing influence of a “graveyard mafia,” which has led to encroachments and illegal plotting—commonly known as China-cutting—inside cemeteries.

He added that space shortages have pushed burial costs in popular graveyards to between Rs 100,000 and Rs 150,000, even though the official KMC burial fee is only Rs 9,300. With space shrinking rapidly, this has become a lucrative business for mafia elements and corrupt officials.

Officials believe that if the new cemetery plan proposed by the Karachi mayor is implemented as designed, it will bring significant relief to the citizens of Karachi.