CHENNAI: You could soon be taking your morning walk next to the city’s crematoriums, if Corporation officials have their way. Two years after the civic body privatised gasification operations in the city’s various crematoriums, the Chennai Corporation has now zeroed in on two large properties, where the excess space will be used to construct walking parks — the plan is to provide walkers paths, lighting and seating arrangements, a stone’s throw away from the existing crematorium. Why? To ensure that people don’t use it as a drink-and-gamble zone anymore.
As of now, they have planned to start with crematoriums in Mylapore and Moolakotharam. “The Mylapore crematorium occupies over 19 acres of space in the centre of the city, it is an asset with huge potential,” said a senior official from the Corporation’s Health Department. They are in the process of identifying several more for the project.
The move has come as a bid to utilise available open spaces in the city and also to renovate the city’s crematoriums which are fast falling into disuse. “The Corporation spends about `10 crore for providing services such as free mortuary vans and maintenance of various crematoriums through NGOs and private corporations. Through this move, we want to turn crematoriums into usable spaces,” informed an official.
According to the Health Department, the main idea is to prevent misuse of these spaces. “People drink, gamble and even consume drugs in spaces which are secluded and largely avoided by the public and burial grounds provide the perfect setting for this. If they are used as parks, it will provide the best deterrent for such anti social activities,” they added.
How will they go about it? They will most probably look to a Public-Private Participation model for maintenance, according to sources. However, the success of this initiative will rest completely in the hands of the public. “People should move past the stigma of crematoriums being considered ominous, especially for women. However, over the last few years, NGOs have encouraged employing women in crematoriums and many women have also come forward, breaking the stigma,” he added.