Faced with problems in running its four electric crematoriums located in the city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is now planning to set up a facility on the outskirts. The civic body has approached the Ranga Reddy district administration seeking an appropriate site, following which a three-acre land parcel beyond the city limits on the road to Vijayawada has been identified.
GHMC officials said they were awaiting the handover of the site so that work on a new electric crematorium on this site, located ahead of Mount Opera resort, could be taken up.
At present, the Municipal Corporation has electric crematoriums at Punjagutta, Amberpet, S.R. Nagar and Bansilalpet, and all of them have been facing “resistance” from local residents, who have been complaining of stench emanating from these facilities.
“The operation of these modern facilities is being affected owing to objections raised by locals, mainly at Punjagutta, Amberpet and S.R. Nagar,” an official said. Another problem facing the GHMC is the delay in handing over unclaimed bodies by police and mortuaries at government hospitals.
“Unclaimed bodies are not released immediately because of the medico-legal circumstances. Hospitals and police, too, do not try to hasten up the procedure,” he added. Owing to these reasons, by the time unclaimed bodies are brought to the crematorium, they are in a highly decomposed state, the official said.
The GHMC’s health and sanitation officials said their engineering wing colleagues had pointed out that the machinery at electric crematoriums was developing snags because of the highly decomposed state of unclaimed bodies.
