Forsaken for decades, Nerkundram burial ground raises a grave concern

Pleas to corpn seeking basic amenities go in vain; official says ground belongs to WRD dept

- PRAVEENA S A

FOR the past eight decades, the cremation ground alongside Cooum River, one of the two crematoriums in Nerkundram, has been functioning without basic amenities. While a single streetlight caters to the entire stretch, the narrow approach road is in poor shape and the ground has no compound wall.

Barring a sheltered cremation platform, there is nothing to suggest that the crematorium is regularly used.

This ground on PH Road near Cooum has been a final resting place for departed souls since the time Nerkundram was controlled by a panchayat administration. Due to its poor condition, residents have to carry the bodies through a damaged approach road, navigating through droves of pigs. As a result, the number of people using the facility has been on a gradual decline. Hence, the residents have been demanding proper maintenance of the crematorium.