Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) will be launching the city's first-of-its-kind funeral facility that would accommodate every community. The facility has provisions set in place to observe the rites of the departed belonging to the three major faiths in the country. The model facility spread across an area of 6.5 acres, brought about the idea of one place for all, to promote communal harmony. It has been developed by the HMDA in Fathullaguda in the eastern part of the city, and would hopefully set an example for more such facilities to come about.
A Dumpyard Remodelled To A Symbol Of Harmony
The multi-faith funeral home built at a cost of ₹16.25 crore, was previously a land used as a dump yard by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for depositing construction and demolition waste. The site has been cleared and levelled to establish the "model crematorium," and dedicated areas have been allocated for each community. Out of the total 6.5 acres, about 2.5 acres have been allotted to the Hindus and two acres each to Muslim and Christian communities.
The facility is also equipped with a dedicated office room, cold storage, prayer hall, watchman room, toilet block, last journey vehicles, and parking space. Alongside this, the officials also informed that a 2.6 kilometre stretch of the road around the facility is being developed by the HRDCL. Steps have been taken to ensure every provision is in place for the relatives to bid goodbye to their near and dear ones, and even the overseas relatives would be enabled to watch the last rites of the departed at the facility.
Mukti Ghat - India's first multi-faith crematorium at L.B. Nagar will be inaugurated by Minister @KTRTRS today. The 6.5 acre facility has earmarked areas to perform last rites according to Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths. A provision is also made to watch the last rites online pic.twitter.com/HLc3OBwbVu
— Minister for IT, Industries, MA & UD, Telangana (@MinisterKTR) December 6, 2022
Eco-friendly Examples
The funeral facility is creating waves even in terms of sustainability, with the urban forestry wing of HMDA building an eco-friendly crematorium with fully electrical furnaces to reduce environmental pollution. The furnaces would draw about 90 per cent of the power for their functioning from solar power plants of 140 kW capacity installed on the premises. They have further established a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 50 kilolitres per day (KLD) to treat and reuse the sewage for maintaining the landscapes.
The Hindu crematorium named 'Mukti Ghat' has separate buildings constructed for the relatives to conduct the 10th-day rituals as per the Hindu customs. Meanwhile, Muslim and Christian graveyards come along with a unique feature that permits the burial of the bodies in three layers at any single spot. According to a report by the New Indian Express, each burial ground can accommodate a total of 550 bodies.
Also Read: As Bodies Pile Up At Crematoriums, Delhi Govt Allows Use of Wood For Cremating COVID-19 Victims