The Hindu : Focus on promoting electric crematoria

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 23, 2002

Other States

Other States - New Delhi

Focus on promoting electric crematoria

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI JUNE 22. With wood fast becoming a rare commodity, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has decided to promote use of electric crematoria in the Capital. For this, it is planning to use the services of religious leaders in a big way to launch an awareness campaign for more such environment-friendly complexes across the city.To begin with, the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, has identified as many as 13 new locations in the city for constructing electric crematoria. MCD has approached the famous Raja Adheri Company for developing a standard design for the Capital. The company has given its consent.

The electric crematorium's design would not only incorporate the technology to be used, but also the ambience and other basic infrastructural facilities at these places. "We need to modernise our tradition and change people's mindset. For this purpose we will take the help of important religious leaders and institutions like Rama Krishna Mission Ashram and Arya Samaj, besides intellectuals and personalities for popularising electric crematoriums,'' Mr. Mehta said.

As of now, the existing electric crematoriums at Bela Road, Punjabi Bagh and the Sarai Kale Khan (which became operational a few days ago) are not popular among the people and only a few bodies are taken to these places every week for performing the last rites.

Already quite a few religious leaders, institutions and some prominent personalities have given their consent for launching an awareness campaign among the masses in this regard.

The municipal Councillors too would be involved in the campaign.

The sites tentatively approved for construction of electric crematoriums include those at Panchkuian Road (Sadar Paharganj Zone), Inderpuri near Indra Vihar in Narayna (Karol Bagh Zone), Punjabi Bagh, Subhash Nagar and Hastsal (West Zone), Wazirpur JJ Colony, Haidarpur near Ayurvedic Hospital and Mangol Pur Khurd (Rohini Zone), Seema Devi Ghat in Seema Puri (Shahdara North Zone), Ghazipur / Trilokpuri (Shahdara South Zone), Basant Gaon, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar and Lal Kuan at M.B. Road in South Delhi. One electric crematorium at Green Park in South Delhi is already in the final stages of construction.

Mr. Mehta said they did not have enough space at most of these places, so the design and technology would have to be altogether new for these crematoriums. Special emphasis would be on the ambience besides a prayer room for the people.

With a population of 1.4 crores, hundreds of people die in the Capital daily and as a result huge quantities of precious wood is used for performing the last rites. "At a time when there is so much emphasis on protecting forest and trees, the only viable environment-friendly option is the electric crematoriums,'' he said.

At the same time, Mr. Mehta said steps were being taken to improve infrastructural facilities and ambience of all existing crematorious.

Like the Punjabi Bagh cremation grounds which is being run and maintained by the resident welfare association, the MCD has identified as many as 28 such cremation grounds for handing them over to the non-governmental organisations and RWAs. Soon, the civic body, is likely to invite applications for the management of cremation grounds and electric crematoriums. The RWAs and NGOs would have to take care of the cleanliness and sanitation of the cremation grounds, besides making provisions for infrastructural facilities.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

Teenager found murdered in pal's room

Girl shot at by friend

MCD launches drive to remove hawkers

Manjit Singh skirts controversy

Focus on promoting electric crematoria

Police apathy comes to the fore