TIRUPPUR: SC families of Veppampalayam and Hanumanthapuram at Mettupalayam panchayat in Vellakoil have been burying their loved ones along the road for the past 20 years due to lack of cremation grounds in their villages.
Speaking to TNIE, P Subramanian (31) a resident of Veppampalayam, said, “More than 100 SC families live in Veppamapalayam, but we don’t have burial ground. Since, we are surrounded by agricultural lands, we have to carry our dead to more than five kilometres to another village. But shortage of space there pushed us to search for a new place. At that moment, we decided to bury our loved ones along Vellakoil-Puppalayam road, which is 500 metres from the village. So far we have buried more than 10 people there. Now, officials state the road will be widened and we are looking for a new place.”
P Suresh (30), resident of Hanumanthapuram, said, “More than 50 SC families live here and we are daily wage earners. Finding a decent burial place has been haunting us for the past 20 years. We bury our loved ones along the Vellamadai-Hanumanthapuram road. So far, 10 persons have been buried and funeral rites have been conducted for the past twenty years. Last year, we submitted a petition to Tiruppur district administration but no action has been taken.”
An official from the district administration said, “The villages have a mix of barren and agricultural lands. We don’t have enough Poromboke land in and around the village. We will conduct an inspection and check for the possibility of converting some agricultural land or resolve the issue in some other way.”