For years, residents of Jankipuram Sectors J and H in the city have been expressing displeasure about a nearby cremation ground that was allegedly built at a location marked for a children’s park. Despite several complaints to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), public interest litigations and protests, their many pleas fell on deaf ears.
In a move that may bring them relief, Lucknow divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob has assured them that the cremation site, situated right next to a housing society, would be relocated away from the residential areas, at the earliest. She heard the Jankipuram residents’ appeal at her office recently.
“Due to a cremation site in such proximity to a housing society, fumes from the burning ground reach kitchens and distress children as well,” said the residents. The land has been a matter of dispute for many years between the residents of Jankipuram and those of the nearby Paharpur area. The latter claim that the land had been used by their ancestors as a cremation ground for many years before the apartment buildings came up.
Whereas the apartment residents argue that that land was meant to be turned into a playground for kids. To complicate matters more, LDA officials have claimed that the blueprints of the land show that the area had been demarcated for both a park as well as a cremation ground.
{{/usCountry}}Whereas the apartment residents argue that that land was meant to be turned into a playground for kids. To complicate matters more, LDA officials have claimed that the blueprints of the land show that the area had been demarcated for both a park as well as a cremation ground.
{{/usCountry}}Vivek Sharma, a resident of Sector J, who initially brought the issue to the public and district administration’s notice, said, “The [LDA] vice-chairperson tried to postpone the conversation and tried to placate the residents... who then approached the divisional commissioner instead... She issued strict instructions to initiate the shifting of the crematorium as soon as possible.”
LDA vice-chairperson Indramani Tripathi, who was also summoned to the public hearing, later said in his defence that he had already got the ball rolling to start the shifting. “We conducted an inspection a month or so ago and identified a plot of land in Jankipuram Vistar side where the crematorium can be shifted to. However, the approvals and budget for the same are yet to come through. Once we get that we can start the shifting work,” he added.
According to Tripathi, it has not been decided what the plot would be used for after the shifting.
Picture caption: The cremation ground near the Sector J housing society in Lucknow Jankipuram.