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Apathy leaves electric cremation ‘machines ‘dead’ in Lucknow
Despite a ₹50 lakh maintenance budget, breakdowns at three of city’s six facilities leave grieving families with limited options
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LUCKNOW Mourning families in the city are facing inconvenience as machines at three of Lucknow’s six electric crematoriums remain largely non-operational due to repeated mechanical failures. Introduced as an alternative to conventional pyres, the facilities are struggling to stay functional despite the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) allocating ₹50 lakh for their upkeep this financial year, revealed a ground check by HT on Wednesday.
The city has six electric cremation machines installed at three locations – two each at Baikunth Dham, Gulalaghat and VIP Road. But repeated breakdowns have left majority of them out of service.
During a visit to the Baikunth Dham crematorium near the 1090 crossing on Wednesday, both electric machines were found defunct. Workers at the facility said the breakdown was not an isolated incident and that the machines frequently stop functioning. A source at the crematorium said officials often begin repairs only after repeated complaints.
“The problem recurs at short intervals. We contact the LMC’s electrical and mechanical department, and after several days the machines are repaired. But the same problem emerges again after a short span of time,” sources said.
Nearly 4 to 5 bodies are brought to the facility every day, but families are unable to use it when both machines remain out of order, they added.
They also alleged that the machines at Baikunth Dham had become dysfunctional more than six times in the past nine months.
The situation was similar at the VIP Road crematorium, where the electric cremation machines were found locked and the facility in a deteriorating condition.
HT also visited the Gulalaghat facility, where one of the two electric cremation machines reportedly remained defunct for more than a month.
₹8L SPENT ON REPAIRS IN 6 MONTHS
LMC chief finance officer Mahamilind Lal confirmed that the civic body allocated ₹50 lakh for maintenance and repair of electric crematoriums during the current financial year.
LMC chief engineer (electrical and mechanical) Manoj Prabhat, who oversees upkeep of the machines, said the civic body already spent more than ₹8 lakh on repairs and maintenance in the past six months.
He said LMC officials are currently carrying out maintenance and the civic body is providing the required spare parts. When asked whether trained personnel were carrying out the repairs, he said the work was being handled by LMC officials.
AMC STILL “UNDER PROCESS”
Repeated breakdowns have also raised questions over the absence of a comprehensive annual maintenance contract (AMC).
When HT asked Prabhat why the machines continued to break down despite repeated repairs, he said the AMC was under process and that the machines require maintenance twice a year.
However, sources working at the crematoriums said the equipment often develops faults and remains unusable for days before officials attend to the complaints.
Prabhat also said he was unaware of the defunct machine at Gulalaghat when HT asked him about its prolonged shutdown.
A source familiar with the maintenance of the machines said proper servicing at six-month intervals could help them operate for longer periods.
The machines use heat-resistant bricks that need to withstand repeated heating and cooling cycles, making regular maintenance important, he said.
“If damaged parts are not replaced and the machines are repeatedly repaired and put back into operation, they can develop faults again,” the source added.
A major repair can cost around ₹1 lakh for a machine, while smaller repairs cost less, he said.
