Angul: Residents of this industrial town have been experiencing hardship while performing last rites of their near and dear ones as the town is devoid of a cremation ground.
According to denizens, the municipality had identified a location at Hemasurapada for a crematorium but the work on it is yet to take off owing to protests by locals.
The people living on the suburbs have their own cremation grounds. But denizens living in the town area are forced to opt for the one at Karadagadia.
According to Biswaranjan Pattanayak, a resident of town limits, people perform the last rites of their relatives at Karadagadia cremation ground by paying Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500. Yet, the service is not up to the mark, he alleged.
Local residents of town area are of the opinion that if the town had an electric crematorium like other cities, they would not have to spend on woods and face difficulties when it rains. Besides, given the scarcity of woods and the environmental impacts of wood fuel, an electric crematorium would answer all the woes. Most importantly, the unidentified bodies can be disposed off there, pointed out some others.
When asked, municipality executive officer Subhendu Kumar Jena acknowledged the issue and said, “There is a proposal from the government to construct an ‘Adarsh Smashan’ (Ideal Crematorium) here. Accordingly, the municipality has also earmarked a place at Hemasurapada. But the work on it is yet to begin owing to resistance put up by locals.”
Meanwhile, denizens of Angul are dependent on the Karadagadia cremation ground that does not come under the municipality area. “We are contemplating to build the ‘Adarsh Smashan’ with an electric crematorium at Karadagadia, but for that we need government approval,” Jena added.
PNN