Fishermen of Nainarkuppam hamlet in ward 197 have urged the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to ensure that they have a cremation ground near their village. For many years they had been using a plot of land near their village as a crematorium, which has been forbidden by the GCC.
“When I was a councillor in the 1990s, I was the one who got the panchayat to construct a compound wall, install a borewell, and create other facilities. We have been burying and burning dead bodies for several generations in this piece of land. We have records of death certificates and panchayat documents to prove it,” said Arul, a resident.
Official sources in the GCC said that according to Revenue records the land is a private patta land. “It is located near a temple on the eastern side of the ECR. The family of the person in whose name the land is registered, is demanding that it be returned to them and has gone to court. We have sealed the place and told the people to use the crematorium at Injambakkam, which is only 5 km away,” explained an official.
Fishing community leaders have called for retaining the same piece of land as a crematorium for the village. “It has been used as one for several decades now. It should not be shifted anywhere else.”
Published – July 27, 2025 12:54 am IST