Mumbai’s crematoria have been running at full capacity as the coronavirus raged through the population over the past few months with the elderly and those with comorbidities or a weaker immune system at a greater risk of dying.
It is now learned that the Worli crematorium at Dr E Moses Road, also known as Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Worli Smashan Bhumi, will go through a revamp so as to provide a better establishment for grieving families. Construction on this project is expected to begin soon while a formal and socially distanced ceremony was held on July 27 to mark the beginning of the project.
This revamping of the crematorium will be known as the Antim Prasthan Project and will reportedly cost ₹40 crores. The Hiralal Parekh Parivar Charity Trust that launched this project has already generated 50% of the project funds via donors like Tata Group, Kotak Group, Mahindra Group, and a few others.
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The founding trustee of Hiralal Parekh Parivar Charity Trust, Dr Ramnik Parekh said - “We were troubled by the derelict conditions of many of the city’s crematoria and so in 2018, the Trust decided to take action and make an example with the Worli crematorium. This is a landmark project as it will not only be the largest crematorium in Mumbai, but also the only non-denominational facility offering its services free of cost to all.”
“The redevelopment work has begun slowly. Enough care is being taken to ensure that the work does not cause any inconvenience to the grieving families coming to the crematorium for last rites,” a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said.
One of the other trustees of the aforementioned charity, Dr Bharat Parekh has said that as per an MoU signed between the charitable organization and the BMC, the trust will look after the maintenance of the crematorium for a period of five years.
Though the project was expected to be underway by February 2020, the coronavirus outbreak changed those plans. It is now expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
Also read - Malad And Deonar To Get Animal Crematoriums
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