In spite of opposition from local residents, Tiruchi Corporation has decided to set up a crematorium at Panchapur on the outskirts of the city.
The city has four crematoria at Oyamari, Karumandapam, Konakarai and Ambedkar Nagar in Srirangam. Gasifier technology (producing gas by burning firewood chips) is being used to incinerate the bodies at the facilities. Before the adoption of biomass gasifier technology, the bodies were burnt with high-voltage current at the electric crematorium at Oyamari on the banks of the Cauvery. Since the Corporation found it difficult to bear the huge cost of electricity bills, it went for biomass gasifier crematorium and converted the facilities at Karumandapam and Ambedkar Nagar. The fourth crematoria on Konakarai road was built with gasifier technology.
However, the crematoriums are said to be facing pressure due to rising cremations in recent years. In order to ease the pressure, the Corporation came up with a proposal recently to build new crematoria at Panchapur and Ariyamangalam. The civic body chose a site on the banks of the Koraiyar to build the crematoria at Panchapur.
But the residents of Panchapur, who were sceptical of the move, opposed the project. They said Panchapur had been considered a dumping ground by the Corporation to discharge waste. The residents, who had been facing health hazards due to the functioning of the sewage treatment plant for several years, would face disturbances if the new crematoria was set up.
“We understand that the proposed crematoria will cater to the people of 10 to 15 wards of the Corporation. We do not like to see funeral processions on our streets,” says S. Kalyani, a resident of Panchapur.
To assuage the feelings of the residents, the revenue officials held a peace meeting with them a few days ago. They told the revenue and Corporation officials that they should find an alternative route to carry the dead bodies instead of the streets in Panchapur, where people live in large numbers.
Sources in the Corporation said the crematoria was important to ease the pressure on other similar infrastructure. It would go ahead with the project. However, steps would be taken to avoid disturbances to local residents.
