Porur town panchayat plans electric crematorium

By S. Shanker

CHENNAI, MAY 15. The Porur town panchayat will commission an electric crematorium at the Arcot Road cremation ground.

Funded under the Mega city project, the Rs. 80.66-lakh crematorium will receive 50 per cent assistance from the Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure company.

Apart from a 40 kw furnace, a two-storeyed building has been planned at the grounds for performing rituals and ceremonies.

Though the initial estimate of the electric unit was Rs.68 lakhs, the revised estimate prepared late last year has placed it at Rs. 80.66 lakhs. The contractors for the project have been given one year for completing the work.

The local body, which had resolved to charge Rs.500 per body earlier has hiked it up to Rs. 1,500, consequent to the cost revision. The project is implemented based on the working that the electric crematorium could handle a minimum of five bodies a day for 25 days a month. The annual maintenance of crematorium would work out to Rs.1 lakh and anticipated revenue collection Rs 8 lakhs approximately, according to the local body officials.

The town panchayat chairman, Mr. S. Arunachalam, said the nearest electric crematorium for the town was at Besant Nagar. The cremation grounds at Chinna Porur and Arcot Road were manned by vettiyans, who charged over Rs. 3,000 per cremation.

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