- CLARO repeats its demands for a cemetery on the coast
The Covid-19 pandemic is seriously affecting the world in many different ways, one of them being the collapse of many cemeteries, including some in La Vega Baja, caused by the increase in the number of deaths.
Orihuela Costa does not have a Cemetery, one more insufficiency in the services provided by the Orihuela City Council, and another of the historical claims of CLARO, the residents of the Coast and even other parties that have included it in their electoral programs.
The residents of La Costa wishing to bury their relatives find it almost impossible to do so, as, apart from not having a cemetery on the coast, the one in Orihuela centre is about 40 km away, they have to try to find a plot in neighbouring municipalities, which in the face of the increasing number of deaths, and their own municipal restrictions, cannot always be achieved.
Some municipalities require the deceased to be a previous resident of the municipality because, they too are experiencing an unprecedented demand for plots, which they are unable to meet.
Orihuela Costa has more than 25,000 registered residents and another 15 or 20,000 people who live in the area but who are not registered. They still, however, reside and pay their taxes religiously, with a large majority of them, especially overseas European Residents, of a pensionable age and enjoying a leisurely retirement.
As such the local demographic is one of an elderly population and the need for a cemetery in close proximity is an absolute essential.
All towns, villages and even pedanias in Spain have a nearby cemetery, it is one of the basic amenities provided by every municipal authority.
A cemetery is incredibly important to any community for a variety of reasons. They are places that have many different meanings to different people or cultures, and can be overwhelmingly positive and peaceful places where we can bury our loved ones at the end of their lives, allowing them to live on in our memories and giving us a place to visit with those who are no longer with us.
This helps aid in the grieving process, allowing many to overcome quite distressing obstacles, and also allows us to pay our respects, keeping our loved ones close by to visit.
Unfortunately, when it comes to the priorities of the Orihuela Municipal Authority, it seems not to be very high, if at all, on the ‘to do list’ of their Orihuela Costa actions, just one more deficiency in the services that it provides to an area that makes up over 30% of the municipality.
Cemeteries are a place of serene remembrance; they allow us to enjoy time with loved ones, a quiet place in which we can sit in peace and remember those that have passed. They bring comfort to families as they struggle with their grief, providing a serene environment in which to place flowers on important occasions and to spend time speaking on a spiritual level with the person that has passed.
It’s a deeply personal process that can have many psychological benefits for those who have suffered a recent death in their family, and it is one that Mayor Emilio Bascuñana and his municipal government owe, at the very least, to the people of la Costa.
