CHENNAI: It has been four years since the Mayor announced that electric furnace facility would be installed in the Nungambakkam crematorium, but nothing has materialised till date, lament the residents and welfare organisations of Nungambakkam.In 2008, members of Exnora Innovator’s Club brought the issue to the notice of Mayor M Subramanium, who assured them that 27 crematoriums in the city would get gasifiers by the end of the year. However, it has taken more than three years to install the same in the Nungambakkam crematorium, and the work is yet to be completed.Kasthuri Rangan, secretary of Choolaimedu Exnora Innovator’s club, said, “We do not know how far the works have been completed.The work started way back and it has been on for a long time now.” N Swapna, a software engineer from Choolaimedu and a regular commuter on Nelson Manickam Road, said, “The sooner they install gasifiers, the better it is. Considering the amount of pollution the crematorium causes, action should be taken immediately. It is really disturbing to commute as the smell from the crematorium affects us.” Shanmugam, a resident of Nungambakkam and an employee in a private concern, told City Express, “Recently I visited the crematorium to cremate one of our elderly relatives and I was shocked to see the condition of the place. I understand that work is on, but I was shocked to see people cooking and living inside the premises of the crematorium.” The crematorium, in an appalling condition, is also being used for several unlawful activities. Antisocial elements engage in activities like liquoring inside the buildings. While a few claim it is the workers of the crematorium who indulge in these illegal acts, others believe it is people from outside who do so.A corporation official told City Express that 90 per cent of the work has been completed, while another senior corporation official from the buildings department said that the work would be over once the connections were acquired from the electricity board.“The gasifier unit will start functioning once the connection is obtained,” he said, adding that he did not know when that was likely to happen.The Mayor had stated that gasifier units would be provided in crematoria in the city at a cost of `27crore. However, considering the amount of time and number of employers required for the job, the estimation is likely to have shot up manifold. None of the corporation officials were ready to divulge the financial statements about the project.Representatives from the Exnora Club also made a representation to the newly elected MLA, Valarmathi, in this regard, and have been assured of action.
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