Thiruvananthapuram: Protests mar setting up of crematoriums in suburbs

Thiruvananthapuram: Plans to modernise various local crematoriums and decentralise cremations remain on paper inspite of electric and gas-based crematoriums reahing saturation level. With land around houses becoming scarce, bodies from even the remote parts of the district are brought to Shanthikavadam in the city. Not less than 60 bodies are cremated every day at Shanthikavadom, Thycaud which has two electrical crematoriums and four traditional ones.

“There is too much waiting at all crematoriums. Gas and electricity-based cremation happens in an hour or two. So it is important to have more in the city,” said the driver of an ambulance run by a rightwing political party. Major crematoriums at Puthekotta, Karamana, Thamalam, Muttathara etc are run by various communities. Three more different facilities run by other communities function around Shanthikavadom. None of these are being refurbished inspite of the masterplan to develop 15 crematoriums in the city.

“We wanted either a gas-based crematorium or a modernised version of the traditional coconut husk crematorium here. The project is stuck as a final master plan is awaited. The density of houses around crematoriums are going up and modernising these burial grounds are important for the well-being of local residents,” said Fort Councilor R Suresh, who is also the leader of a community that runs the Puthenkotta facilty, which has around eight pyres.

Officials say that renovating existing crematoriums is the only option as there is public resistance each time civic bodies attempt to build new crematoriums. As per the norms, no houses should be located 50 metres around cremation grounds. Even after decades, Neyyattinkara municipality is yet to have an electric or gas-based crematorium due to protests from a section of people. While most communities have their cremation facilities, they neither cremate bodies of every citizen nor allow the municipality to construct one near theirs.

“For example, the municipality owns 65-cent land next to a crematorium run by a particular Brahmin community at Gramam area. We wanted to build an electric crematorium but met with resistance from residents associations and community organisations,” lamented municipal vice-chairperson K.K. Shibu. In the year 2000, there were plans to start mobile crematoriums, but a section of the council had reservations about taking crematoriums to doorsteps. The municipality, however, has not given up hopes.

“An NGO has donated 30-cent land near Punakkad to construct a crematorium. We hope to build a new crematorium before the year end. The problem is, the paddy field terrain gets submerged during monsoon. We also need to construct a road to this place,” he said.

Mobile crematorium
Taking the lack of space into consideration, the district panchayat has floated tenders to buy a mobile crematorium and earmarked Rs 50 lakh for procuring LPG-based crematorium mounted on a truck. “Mobile crematoriums are popular in Tamil Nadu. Once we get a quote, a technical committee will verify the vehicle and purchase it,” said district panchayat president V.K. Madhu. The yesteryear cremation grounds in most village panchayats have been utilised for building other public amenities. This has led to a crisis and district panchayat hopes to convert 20 existing cremation grounds into gas-fired.