6 new electric crematoriums to comeup in Prayagraj, one in Shringverpur

Prayagraj: In a bid to discourage burial of human bodies on the banks of river Ganga, the Prayagraj district administration will set up seven new electric crematoriums in the district. Of these, six would be within the municipal limits while the seventh would come up at Shringverpur, for which the district administration has already identified 4 biswa land.
Presently, Prayagraj city has just two electric crematoriums — one each at Daraganj and Shankarghat (Teliyarganj).
The proposal for constructing an electric crematorium at Shringverpur bears significance as the banks of river Ganga at this religious site hogged the limelight recently for having a number of burial sites. The district administration had claimed that this had been the practice amongst locals living in the vicinity of the area.
However, considering the fact the practice goes against the norms laid down under National Green Tribunal (NGT), the district administration has decided to make the locals aware of the ill-effects of the practice in terms of pollution and NGT guidelines and provide them with a viable alternative in shape of electric crematorium, district officials said.
For this, the revenue department team has identified 4 biswa land (around 500 square meters). A proposal is being prepared by the local administration and the same would be sent to the district magistrate on behalf of the Panchayati Raj department. The papers are being prepared through SDM Soraon Anil Chaturvedi.
“We are preparing the proposal for constructing an electric crematorium at Shringverpur and the same would be submitted to the higher-ups in a couple of days. Once the approval is granted, we would move forward with the construction work,” said district panchayati raj officer (DPRO), Renu Srivastava.
The idea of having an electric crematorium at Shringverpur is not new. Earlier, the national Ramayana mela organising committee and the local people too had raised a similar demand. Following this, MLA from Phaphamau Vikramajit Maurya had written a letter to the state government.
Moreover, six more electric crematoriums would come up in Sangam city.
The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) had held a virtual meeting last week wherein it was decided that four electric crematoriums would be constructed within the city limits. Later, a proposal for having two additional crematoriums, one at Phaphamau and another at Chatnag (Jhunsi), was also included and thus the total number of new electric crematoriums within the city limits increased to six.
For the electric crematorium to be constructed at Chatnag, the PMC officials have identified a piece of land and the formalities are being chalked out with the help of respective lekhpals of the area. PMC is also looking for a piece of land near Kanhaipur cremation ghat. Earlier, PMC proposed for crematoriums at Kanaipur, Kerala Bagh area, Arail at Naini and Mahewa.
PMC’s public relation officer and chief tax officer, PK Mishra, said, “PMC is working on the issue of having six additional electric crematoriums within the municipal limits and the land for the one at Chatnag has been almost finalised.”