The gas-based crematorium in Mink Shola, Udhagamandalam, that was
built at a cost of Rs. 70 lakh and was lying disused since 2012, was
finally deemed to be fully functional earlier this month.

When it
was first built, the crematorium was to be maintained by the Rotary Club
of Ootacamund. However, as the trials conducted at the facility had
failed, the crematorium was lying abandoned since 2012, when the
maintenance was contracted to a private firm in Chennai.

The
municipality had been taking steps since then to revive the project, and
during the end of 2016, they once again began taking steps to make the
crematorium fully functional.

V
Prabhakaran, Health Officer and Commissioner (in-charge),
Udhagamandalam Municipality, said that the cost of cremating bodies at
the facility was yet to be decided, but added that the crematorium was
now fully functional. He said that flex boards would be put up at burial
sites across the Nilgiris as well, to inform the public about the
crematorium.

The public can approach the municipality office to arrange for funerals at the facility.