• Capacity to be increased with surge in COVID deaths
• MLA, MCC and MUDA officials inspect facilities

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru city’s existing crematoriums are being prepared to work overtime to cope with the surging number of deaths from escalating Coronavirus outbreak. On an average, five people are dying every day in the second wave of COVID-19 as shown in the daily evening media bulletin released by  the District Administration. 

Plans are afoot to modernise the existing crematoria at the foot of Chamundi Hill and the one at J.P. Nagar. One un-used crematorium at Jayanagar would be made ready for service from Apr. 19. 

Last evening, Chamaraja MLA L. Nagendra and a team of officials from the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) led by Commissioner Shilpa Nag, MUDA team led by Chairman H.V. Rajeev and Commissioner Dr. D.B. Natesh visited crematoria and burial grounds in city to take stock of the situation. 

The inspection comes in the wake of Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri seeking a status report on the condition and capacity of the crematoria in city. 

Till now, the crematorium at Vijayanagar Fourth Stage on Hunsur Road — constructed by MUDA — was reserved to exclusively cremate the COVID-dead. This crematorium is already a hi-tech one with both gas and electric burners. 

During the visit of the official team, residents complained of unbearable body-burning smell. They had also complained to the MCC that on an average, eight to nine dead bodies are burnt there every                        day and each body takes at least an hour to be reduced to ashes. “If it was one or two bodies like before, it was somehow manageable. But every day over nine bodies are cremated here as there is a surge in COVID cases and the smell is unbearable,” the residents complained. 

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, MUDA Commissioner Dr. D.B. Natesh said that following complaints from the residents living around the Vijayanagar Fourth Stage crematorium, plans will be made to upgrade the crematorium so that smell does not emanate. “Industry-affilliated technical team would be assigned the work soon and steps will be taken to contain the smell within the crematorium as the dead bodies are burnt,” he said. 

Likewise, the crematoriums at the foot of Chamundi Hill (Harishchandra Ghat) and the J.P. Nagar Rudrabhoomi too will be modernised to increase the capacity. “The intention is to meet emergency cremations and not to inconvenience the people. An action plan is being prepared to increase the intake on par with the crematorium at Vijayanagar Fourth Stage,” Dr. Natesh said. 

The gas and electric crematorium constructed at J.P. Nagar seven to eight years back would be put to use. “So far, the crematorium has been in disuse for various reasons and we will commission it for use from Apr. 19. Bodies will be brought here and we have taken steps to start service in two days,” he added.