After all the announcements on free wi-fi at various public places, here’s the last place you’d expect to have the service — literally, the place where the dead go.

A crematorium on New Avadi Road, Anna Nagar, is all set to go hi-tech with a free wi-fi facility from Saturday.

While jokes have been cracked about whether this would allow communication with the dear departed, the organisers say that it serves a practical purpose.

The free wi-fi will help relatives of the deceased to live stream the last rites being performed at the crematorium back home or to relatives living abroad, and others who were unable to attend the funeral.

The facility will be inaugurated at the Greater Chennai Corporation Velankadu crematorium that is managed by the non-governmental organisation, Indian Community Welfare Organisation.

Its founder secretary, A.J. Hariharan, said the idea came to him after a recent incident where an old lady staying in London could not attend the funeral of a close relative in Chennai. Other relatives took pictures to send to her in London.

“This is when I thought about this option. If we provide free wi-fi here, then, a number of people might like to use it to stream videos of the proceedings to those who, for any reason, cannot be present.”

“This will also help relatives and friends living abroad to virtually visit the crematorium to view the proceedings through live streaming. We are getting high speed internet connectivity which will enable streaming. Also, we figured people can share the location of the crematorium with a GPS pin on social media sites, to help others reach the spot.

Sponsorship for one year

About 20 people will be able to use the facility during the working hours of the crematorium (8 a.m.- 6 p.m.). As of now, we have paid up for a year, thanks to our sponsors,” Mr. Hariharan said.

The facility is being sponsored by the Rotary Club of Meenambakkam for one year.

It would be extended to more hours depending on the patronage, said Mr. Hariharan.

There are also plans to facilitate live telecast some funerals on the web in the coming months, with the concurrence of the relatives, he added.

The Corporation is hopeful of distributing water to the residents without difficulty till the first week of May, said Commissioner Sandeep Nanduri here on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters, he said that despite the stoppage in the discharge from Periyar dam to the Vaigai reservoir, the storage level in Vaigai dam was around 25 feet which was expected to feed the residents for the next 30 days from today.

The infiltration wells at Melakkal, Kochadai, Manalur and Tiruppuvanam were expected to feed water beyond May first week, and the engineers have also identified spots for borewells, which would be dug up in as many as 200 points. “We have to supply potable water to the residents and will accord top priority towards this,” he responded when asked how they would face the opposition from people to the Corporation digging borewells in public places.

Summer showers

Above all, the summer showers, which is usually experienced by April-end, may bring in some relief. While drinking water provision would be in place for devotees visiting the city for the chitirai festival, the water for Lord Kallazhagar’s entry into the Vaigai river, would be made known at an appropriate time, he also added.

The Corporation has procured 2,000 water tanks, which would be installed at vantage locations, and water distribution would be done easily through this. The GPRS facility has been very useful and payments to contractors were being made only after verification with the logsheets in the modern control room at the Anna Maaligai, the Commissioner said.