Cremation ground or site for dumping garbage

SAS NAGAR, MAY 31: The cremation ground of this township is in a poor condition due to the lack of facilities and mismanagement on the pa...

SAS NAGAR, MAY 31: The cremation ground of this township is in a poor condition due to the lack of facilities and mismanagement on the part of the Municipal Council. For greiving families consigning loved ones to the flames, the look of the place only adds to their distress. Little wonder that most township residents perfer to perform last rites at Chandigarh8217;s Sector 25 cremation ground.

On average, one to two bodies are cremated at the Mohali shamshan ghat every day. A corner of this same place is also the municipal garbage dump and a parking lot for trash-collecting vehicles. It8217;s also the place where carcasses are dumped. The garbage blows all over the place and packs of stray dogs roam the area attracted by cattle carcasses which are thrown at the far end of the cremation ground. The whole area stinks and recently, the garbage caught fire.

The cremation ground staff consists of two pandits and a sweeper. A godown has been provided for storing firewood but it is small and about 15 quintal of wood is lying in the open. There are ten pyres but only five have sheds; the others are covered by weeds. There is no proper arrangement to preserve the asthis of the dead as one sees in Chandigarh. According to a source, the overgrown cremation ground is the favorite hide-out for Class V staff of the MC who want to escape the supervisor8217;s eye while they play cards. No officer ever visits the place, added a source.

Municipal Council president Harinder Pal Singh claims that quot;proper maintaince is being carried out and there is no staff shortage.quot; Replying to an allegation that one of the pandits demands extra money for performing the rites, the MC president said action would be taken if anyone was found to be overcharging. He admits quot;as we have no place to dump the garbage, we are dumping it on one side of the ground.quot;