Vasant Kunj residents demand Masoodpur crematorium revamp

Vasant Kunj residents claim the MCD has not upgraded a crematorium as ordered by the Supreme Court in 2022, forcing them to seek services elsewhere.

Vasant Kunj residents are alleging that, despite a 2022 Supreme Court order directing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to upgrade the crematorium at Masoodpur village within a year, no work has been undertaken for the past three years.

Residents said they are forced to go to Nigambodh Ghat. (HT Archive)

In October 2022, the Supreme Court directed the MCD (then the South Delhi Municipal Corporation) to upgrade the over 100-year-old, wood-based crematorium to a modern electric one, while quashing a 2003 Delhi High Court order to shift it to Kisangarh.

However, three years later, nothing has changed, residents say that the lack of an electric crematorium has forced them to travel to crematoriums in other parts of the city.

“The crematorium in Masoodpur is in a really bad state. It is extremely old, and does not have the facilities that people require. Travelling to other crematoriums takes a lot of time, especially during festive seasons or peak traffic hours. Vasant Kunj is such a big colony, and should have a proper crematorium,” said Ashwani Mehta, president of the Vasant Kunj Residents Welfare Federation, calling for work on the land to begin immediately.

“We are forced to go to Lodhi Road, or even all the way to the Nigambodh Ghat. We cannot use the crematorium in Masoodpur as due to it being non-electric, a lot of fumes are released during the process, which is harmful for the environment and troubles the residents, due to the crematorium being inside a living area,” said B.K. Gandhi, 84, a resident of Vasant Kunj.

Additionally, the residents flagged that the crematorium is only approachable by a narrow road, and is less than an acre in size, despite having two vacant plots next to it. Federation members said the plots should be merged with the crematorium land in order to provide ample space.

MCD did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.