The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Crematoriums hit by regular power cuts

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Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Crematoriums hit by regular power cuts

Abhijit Dev Kumar

Prolonged delay leads to bodies getting piled up

‘Government should give priority to such places’
Power cuts leading to problems in furnace

Hyderabad: Regular power cuts in the city are not only taking its toll on residential areas but also on the electric crematoria.

Of late, bodies are getting queued at the electric crematoria in Bansilalpet and Amberpet.

“We were asked to be at the crematorium by 5.30 p.m. but when we arrived here, there was a power cut. The government should give priority to such places and see that there is continuous supply,” said B. Satish Singh, who had come to the Amberpet crematorium.

The scheduled power cut at the crematorium is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cremations can take place if the power cut is for a lesser duration as temperature is maintained at 600 degrees centigrade but the prolonged disruption is causing delays. “Normally, it takes one hour for the body to be charred totally. But with the problem at hand, it takes about two hours now. Sometimes, we have many bodies arriving during power cuts and we have no choice but to ask people to wait, or call the electricity department,” said Yadgiri Reddy, staff member.

Technical problems pertaining to the furnace have been cropping up due to power shortage.

“A lot of smoke comes out of the furnace during power cuts. The blower inside the crematorium, which pushes out the smoke stops functioning. As a result, the smoke settles on the ground level and we get complaints from residents every time this happens,” says another staff member at Bansilalpet crematorium.

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