Sarthak Kanjilal & Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Nov 18: Falling hygienic standards and slack management of the lone Hindu Cremation Ground in the city by the Port Blair Municipal Council is hurting the sentiments of the community. The civic body is alleged to have turned the Cremation Ground at Prem Nagar into a virtual dumpyard in the recent years with heaps of trash and stones easily visible inside the premises.
Sources even claim that the holy pond inside the Cremation Ground, meant for performing religious rituals during the final rites, is being utilised as a laundry as also for cleaning vehicles by locals in the region.
Members of the Junglighat Durga Puja Committee claim that the Port Blair Municipal Council has failed miserably in maintaining the Prem Nagar Murda Khari hurting the sentiments of the Hindus. The Cremation Ground is used by the Council to dump stones and other wastes. Moreover, residents of Prem Nagar and other adjoining areas even bath, clean clothes and wash the vehicles in the holy pond inside the Cremation Ground, donated by Late Laxmi Devi in the year 1939, they say holding the PBMC responsible for lack of supervision.
“The pond is not meant for bathing or cleaning clothes. Instead, the pond is used for performing rituals during the final rites,” says Mr Gulab Singh, General Secretary of Junglighat Durga Puja Committee.
Due to lack of supervision by the civic body, use of the pond for bathing, washing clothes and for cleaning vehicles has become rampant. The PBMC further did not take any steps for constructing a retaining wall around the Cremation Ground to prevent illegal entry into the premises. Currently the situation is such that the sewage water flows in the sacred pond inside the Cremation Ground. Moreover the decrepit condition of a massive Funnel of closed LPG Crematorium inside the Murda Khari is also posing threat to people coming to the Cremation Ground.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha, the Vice President of Junglighat Durga Puja Committee, Mr Om Prakash said that the Cremation Ground was in excellent condition when being maintain by the Junglighat Radha Govind temple. The land was gifted for cremation by his grandfather, Late Mr Bharat long back. But the poor condition of the Cremation Ground due to lack of attention by the PBMC is hurting public badly. A lot of complaints are received from people on a regular basis.
“We demand that the PBMC should hand over the Cremation Ground to the Radha Govind Temple Committee. The committee is capable for taking better care of the Cremation Ground,” Mr. Prakash added.
