HYDERABAD: A modern and eco-friendly crematorium, Mahaprasthanam, was inaugurated by Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu at the Jubilee Hills here on Monday.
The crematorium, located near Whisper Valley on Road No.45, Jubilee Hills, has been developed on a 3.70-acre plot at a cost of Rs 3 crore in public-private partnership mode. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Phoenix Foundation joined hands to develop the facility.
Speaking on the occasion, Venkaiah Naidu said it was not possible for the government alone to implement all schemes which require huge funding. People and voluntary organisations could contribute their mite and support the government’s programmes taken up for the welfare of the people, he suggested. “There is no magic wand to create smart cities and people need to take a participatory role and be prepared for reforms and take pains to make their cities smart,” Naidu said.
He lauded the establishment of the modern crematorium in PPP mode and said his ministry would encourage such initiatives across the country. State Home Minister Nayini Narsimha Reddy said the State government had asked the GHMC to identify at least 50 locations on the outskirts for development of modern graveyards as many of the existing burial grounds have no more space. GHMC special officer Somesh Kumar said there were about 900 crematoria and burial grounds in GHMC limits and Rs 50 crore was earmarked for basic amenities at those places.