Amritsar MC told to relocate Shivpuri crematorium
Charanjit Singh Teja
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, July 3
On the recommendation of the National Green Tribunal Monitoring Committee, the Municipal Corporation initiated the process to relocate century-old Shivpuri cremation ground near Durgiana Temple. The Shivpuri cremation ground is the oldest and one of the major cremation grounds in the city. As many as 35 bodies can be cremated in a single day here.
The Shree Durgiana Temple Committee had raised concern over the cremation pollution, which has damaged the temple’s gold-plated walls. The NGT has asked it to find some alternative space to shift the cremation ground.
Komal Mittal, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, has constituted a committee comprising Additional Commissioner Sandip Rishi, Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia, Dr Yogesh, Municipal Health Officer and local registrar and superintending engineer (civil) to conduct a survey and submit the report.
The committee is conducting the survey to check the capacity of other cremation grounds in the city. Instead of developing some new cremation ground, the committee plans to shift the load of Shivpuri to other crematoriums by upgrading the existing infrastructure.
“There are several other small cremation grounds in the city. We are finding alternative of Shivpuri crematorium. There are a few crematoriums where we can enhance the capacity by constructing more platforms and we are working on it”, said Sandip Rishi.
The MC has been planning to strengthen the infrastructure at small crematoriums and motivate the public to perform the death rituals there.
Earlier in 2016, the Amritsar Improvement Trust had initiated to develop new modern crematorium in four acre land near Gumtala Bypass. Some religious organisations moved the court and took stay orders on the construction of crematorium.
