Chiefs and elders of Avoeme, a suburb of Aflao in the Volta Region have banned the burial of corpses in homes and the practice of individual families owning cemeteries in the area. The chiefs have subsequently given out a large parcel of land at the outskirts of the town for use as a common cemetery for the community. An elder of the town, Dumega Charles Hussey, said this when he addressed a New Year home coming get-together of Unity Group Association, an association of Accra-based Avoeme youths on Tuesday at Avoeme. He said the practice of "scattered burial" had high health risks for the inhabitants and this needed to be discouraged. "Some graves are close to wells from which families draw water for domestic use and liquids draining from decaying corpses could contaminate the water," Dumega Hussey said. He commended the youth for coming together and advised them to remain disciplined and united, adding that they must help to facilitate development at home. Dumega Hussey mentioned education, investment and employment attractions as the priorities of the elders and chiefs of the Aflao area. Source: GNA