It has been years since the electric furnaces at the Green Park crematorium were used and the local civic body’s plan to revive the facility remains mired in confusion.
Traditional wood-based cremations have been taking place at the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s facility in Green Park, but the two electric furnaces and an air-conditioned mortuary are lying shut.
In addition to that, grieving families bringing their loved ones for the last rites have to contend with filthy approach roads leading to the cremation ground. Pigs can be seen scavenging on piles of garbage in the vicinity of the facility. According to locals, the electric crematorium was opened in 2003, but was closed in 2004 without any explanation. SDMC Municipal Health Officer (MHO) Dr. N.K. Yadav said: “The electric crematorium has been shut for some time as we don’t have the funds for necessary repair and maintenance.”
Dr. Yadav added that the civic body had planned to convert the facility into one powered by CNG in 2010, but funds under the Yamuna Action Plan were pulled out at the last minute. “We had called the tenders and were about to allot it when we were informed by the government that the funds would not be given,” said Dr. Yadav.
However, he added that renovation work would be completed this year. “We have written to the Delhi Government to let us use funds from the plan head and we are hopeful of starting work soon,” said Dr. Yadav. The plan to renovate the electric crematorium has found mention in the last three budgets presented in the SDMC, including in the ongoing budget session for 2015-2016. In his speech, Standing Committee chairperson Subhash Arya said two electric crematoriums will be converted to CNG in 2015-2016.
“The Engineering Department is working on it, but we are not sure of the deadline yet,” said Mr. Arya. However, a South Delhi resident and social activist who had filed an RTI application about the crematorium in 2011 said nothing seems to be moving. R.C. Gupta had asked the then-unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi why the electric crematorium was not functioning.
“I never got a reply, but the Health Department told me that it was being converted to CNG. Even now, they are just passing files around,” said Mr. Gupta.
He added that the insanitary conditions around the cremation ground are another problem that is not being addressed by the authorities.
