MCD to upgrade its 3 crematoriums; Rohini to get ‘garden-themed’ facility

Currently, the redevelopment work at the three major sites is at various stages and there is no cumulative amount decided for separate projects

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is planning significant upgrades and will undertake landscaping work at the three major crematoriums it operates, officials aware of the development said on Wednesday, adding that the agency also plans to develop a cremation ground in northwest Delhi’s Rohini on a garden theme.

Located along the bank of the Yamuna, Nigam Bodh Ghat is the largest cremation facility in the city with over 120 platforms and CNG furnaces. (Sanjeev Verma)

A senior MCD official from the public health department overseeing the project said that a major overhaul of aesthetics will be carried out at the three cremation sites — Nigam Bodh Ghat, Punjabi Bagh Cremation Ground, and Sarai Kale Khan Cremation Ground. Long-term beautification work will also be undertaken at the eight other large-scale funeral sites in the city, including those at Subhash Nagar, Dwarka, Ghazipur, Seemapuri, Karkardooma, Green Park and Lodhi Road.

“The upgradation work will include the redevelopment of entry gates, tile work on walkways, addition of green patches and statues along with the installation of sound systems, through which prayers can be broadcasted. We have already started the tile replacement work at the Punjabi Bagh crematorium while the concept design for the entry points has been finalised and sent for implementation,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Currently, the redevelopment work at the three major sites is at various stages, the official said, adding that there was no cumulative amount decided for separate projects.

HT has seen copies of the concept plans.

Meanwhile, a second MCD official said an MCD team visited the Banjara Hills cremation facility in Hyderabad to finalise the site plans and develop the cremation ground at Rohini Sector 26 as a garden-themed facility. To be sure, the facility currently operates as an open cremation ground.

“Rohini Sector 26 cremation ground is spread over a 10-acre area and it became operational in 2021. Based on the Banjara Hills facility, we will develop this facility as a green area where the pyre platforms will be located in various corners so that families get a secluded space to perform the rites. In all existing crematoriums, the platforms are under a common shed,” the official added. MCD’s public health department oversees the operations of 49 wood-based cremation grounds, eight CNG-based cremation grounds, and one electric crematorium. Of these, 38 cremation grounds and 11 burial grounds are operated by MCD with the help of NGOs.

The city also has six qabristans (Muslim burial grounds), five infant burial grounds, and two cemeteries. Delhi records around 470 deaths daily, with 171,476 deaths being registered in 2021, according to the annual report on registrations of births and deaths in Delhi, issued by the state government. The report for 2022 has not been issued yet.

“MCD areas account for at least 90,000 cremations every year but the numbers vary with a spike during peak summer and winter months,” the above quoted official added.

₹5 crore revamp at Nigam Bodh Ghat

Located along the bank of the Yamuna, Nigam Bodh Ghat is the largest cremation facility in the city with over 120 platforms and CNG furnaces.

Suman Gupta, general secretary of the managing committee of an NGO which took over operations at Nigam Bodh Ghat in 2011, said that over the years, they have added facilities such as sheds, drinking water, waiting areas, and more. “When we took up the site, there was no proper electricity. It was developed over the years. Now, we are planning to take up development work worth ₹5 crore. The main entry gate will be completely redone on the theme of ‘Shiva’ and ‘Moksha’. We are also adding six large life-sized marble statues being developed in Jaipur,” Gupta added.

He said the ₹5 crore budget for Nigam Bodh Ghat includes everything except the multilevel parking.

He added that a “shav” (body) puja room is also being developed as a resting place for the bodies that come in before they are taken up for cremation, while a new “Bhajan hall” with a sitting capacity of 300 people will also be made at the facility.

“Nearly 90% of the ‘Nakshatra Vatika’ has been completed, where 27 different types of plants based on various star signs and nakshatras were being developed. This will feature sculptures made of fiberglass,” he added. He added the old sound system will also be replaced for a continuous broadcast of prayers.