The Hindu        21.01.2011

Salem gets ISO-certified crematorium, abattoir

Salem Corporation has joined the elite club of a few local bodies with its environmental-friendly modern gasifier crematorium, along with its abattoir, receiving ISO 14001:2004 certificates of compliance.

The Mumbai-based International Certification Services Private Limited assessed both the infrastructure and certified them for environmental management system with silver ranking with the validity period of January 12, 2011 to January 11, 2014. The Joint Accredited System of Australia and New Zealand, has accorded the accreditations for complying with the requirements of international standards.

Members

The crematorium, located inside the Kakkayan burial ground here, is being maintained and run by ‘Amaithi Arakkatalai', (Trust for Peace) in which city's elite are members.

Inaugurated by Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam on July 7, 2010, it has received 500 corpses so far, says Corporation Commissioner Dr K S Palanisamy.

The main project cost Rs. 90 lakh, with the Corporation contributing Rs. 78 lakh and the Department of Municipal Administration chipping in with a subsidy of Rs. 20 lakh. The Madurai-based Jwala Equipment and Consultants constructed the facilities.

A donor has provided the green belt while the ‘Anjali Mandap' (Homage Hall) has been constructed by Jayaram Educational Trust.

Red Cross Society has been entrusted with the job of installing computers to issue death certificates at the site itself immediately after the last rites are performed.

The Corporation has constructed auxiliary infrastructure such as office building, toilet blocks, footpath, compound wall and storage room at a cost of Rs. 1.14 crore made available from the civic body's general fund. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has cleared the project.

The modern slaughterhouse at Maniyanur here, a long-pending demand of Salem citizens, was constructed at a cost of Rs. 68 lakh of which Rs. 10 lakh comes as grant.

The house has all facilities including effluent treatment plant (ETP).