The Deccan Chronicle 09.08.2010
Encroachers bury plan to improve crematoria
Hyderabad, Aug. 8: The lack of facilities at cremation and burial grounds is causing inconvenience to the families of the deceased and they have accused the government of depriving them of giving a decent farewell to the departed souls.
In fact, a project to provide and improve facilities at graveyards, cremation and burial grounds to facilitate a decent “last journey-cum-ritual,” has been delayed due to encroachments. The former chief minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had asked the GHMC to ensure better facilities are provided at the burial grounds.
Subsequently, the civic body proposed to improve the facilities at cremation grounds under the public private partnership (PPP) mode but the project got delayed due to the encroachments.
Officials of the civic body defended the delay in executing the project stating that there are a large number of encroachments in a majority of the graveyards in city. “If the GHMC takes over these places without preparing a list of existing encroachments, at the time of takeover, there is every possibility of the GHMC being blamed for allowing encroachments. So, the proposal is to conduct a joint survey, which will be conducted by officials of the GHMC and the district collectorate of Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy, and enlist encroachments before the take over,” said an official.
The improvement of graveyards project envisages the building of elevated burning platforms, rest rooms, change rooms, halls to perform rituals, a compound wall and a pavilion, as also development of pathways, and illumination.
