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The madding metropolitan multitudes seem a distant memory, the Yamuna flows close by, and despite the gravity of the occasion that brings...

The madding metropolitan multitudes seem a distant memory, the Yamuna flows close by, and despite the gravity of the occasion that brings you here, you cannot fail to notice that the Nigambodh Ghat shamshan couldn8217;t have been better located. Yet, all is not well with Delhi8217;s largest cremation ground where 40-50 pyres are lit every day. Besides the perennial want of cleanliness which appalls visitors, as the nearly 75 employees, some of whom have been working here for the past 25 years, testify, they have to put up with a host of problems.

To begin with, the employees themselves argue that such cremation grounds should be replaced with electric crematoriums, as the latter are more eco-friendly. 8220;The reason is simple,8221; says Shiv Kumar, a supervisor at Nigambodh Ghat, 8220;They emit lesser smoke and there is lesser workload.8221; Preety Kumar, Chief Coordinator, Health Unit, Centre for Science and Environment, explains: 8220;Wood smoke emits carbon monoxide, which in turn can cause severe respiratory diseases. No wonder, the employees complain of asthma, bronchitis, heart problems and eye-related disorders.8221; She continues, 8220;When plastic material such as ghee cans, which are usually left next to the pyres, catch fire, toxic gases are produced which can also cause cancer.8221;

However, the two electric crematoriums, at Punjabi Bagh and near Rajghat, are not in the best of health, courtesy MCD, which is responsible for their upkeep. 8220;The machinery in these electric crematoriums has broken down completely and since the authorities have failed to repair the faults for a long time, the crematorium near Rajghat lies locked in a pathetic state,8221; says Shiv Kumar.

Interestingly, the virtues of electric crematoriums are not lost on the powers that be. Admits Shanti Desai, Chairman, Standing Committee, MCD: 8220;The electric crematoriums are a great concept but lack of adequate funds have resulted in the temporary shutting down of the crematorium near Rajghat.8221; Desai, however, promises that within five to six months, it will be restored.

The Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground, meanwhile, gets about 100-150 quintals of felled trees, which means that some five to six trees are cut daily, mainly in the jungles of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, to keep the supply going. Besides, there are shops just outside the cremation ground which deal exclusively in mango wood. 8220;For each pyre, about four quintals of wood is required,8221; says Ram Shanker, who owns a shop here and has been dealing in wood for the past ten years. 8220;During the monsoon, other varieties of trees usually get high moisture content. The moisture content in mango wood is much lesser, which is why it dries that much quicker and catches fire quickly too.8221;

The employees cite the issue of rotational transfers as yet another instance of neglect. They says they are eligible to secure positions in other public health departments such as Malaria, Conservation and Sanitation Engineering Department and Vaccination Department, but the authorities say there is no such provision. 8220;We have got the essential qualifications required to secure positions in other departments but we have been stuck here for as long as 25 years,8221; laments R. Jacob, a supervisor. 8220;There is no question of these people complaining and asking for different departments,8221; retorts K. N. Tiwari, Municipal Health Officer, MCD, 8220;Theirs is an ex-cadre post, which means they will have to stay here because they had opted for such a position on their own.8221; Tiwari, however, agrees that more promotional avenues should be created for the employees.

Be that as it may, the employees say that working in such a place for a prolonged duration is psychologically and mentally traumatic. 8220;People usually taunt and make fun of us if we tell them we work in a crematorium,8221; says Shiv Kumar. 8220;We feel socially ostracised and most of us can8217;t even tell our children that we work here. So the best way out is to give us rotational transfers after a period of two years as we8217;re eligible to work in other departments as well.8221;

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Further, the employees complain about the absence of any partitioning walls, because of which they are forced to watch the depressing sight of burning bodies from their offices. The employees also lament the fact that despite repeated promises there has been no increase in their salaries. The authorities are quick to respond to the latter complaint. 8220;If the Delhi Administration has failed to increase MCD8217;s revenue, how can we bring about an increase in the salaries of those working at Nigambodh Ghat cremation ground?8221; asks Shanti Desai.

As people continue to flock to the Nigambodh Ghat at the banks of the Yamuna to cremate their dead, sadly they cannot even perform the last rites without remorse.