Amid Covid, 5 crematoria for city

State finalises tenders for LPG-fuelled facilities

Without any announcement, the government has finalised tenders to set up five LPG-fuelled crematoria at five locations in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits. The crematoria were planned amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in light of the difficulty in cremating the bodies of victims.

Fearing public outcry, the government has not revealed where these units, each costing `70 lakh, will be built. Two crematoriums will be operational in a week and the other three in 15 days. The LPG crematorium can cremate a body in two hours, against the four hours an electric facility would need. The LPG-based crematoria will consume less energy.

In view of the Covid-19 deaths, authorities said they would construct the crematoria on priority, in the Charminar, Khairatabad, Secunderabad, Uppal and Kukatpally zones. The government had proposed to upgrade the electric crematorium in Balapur but dropped it after several allegations were levelled.

Officials said that the LPG-based crematoriums will be operated 24/7 and will cremate bodies of those who died due to Covid-19 as well as those who died due to other reasons.

The crematoria will be installed in Hindu cremation grounds. An official said they were used extensively the world over and are eco-friendly. No new graveyards or crematoria will be constructed until the Covid-19 crisis ends.

A senior MA&UD official said each crematorium would dispose of at least 12 bodies per day. “Until the situation becomes normal, these crematoria will be used extensively.” He said mobile crematoria that were showcased by private organisations were not approved citing viability.

The official said GHMC zonal commissioners were asked to expedite repairs to defunct cremation platforms and address issues like construction of temporary sheds and compound walls at the earliest.