Smart City : Suggestions from readers, patrons Electric crematorium mooted
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 04 2015 : Former Chairman of Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for Manipur and Mizoram, N Shyamsundar has urged the Government to incorporate a suitable provision for installation of an electric crematorium at an estimated cost of around Rs 1.20 crore (excluding the cost of land) into the proposal for upgrading Imphal to a Smart City.

He said that the time has perhaps come when parents need to grow a tree at a suitable place on the day a child is born in order to ensure that it can eventually be used as the fuel wood for consigning the body at the time of his/her death.

Shyamkumar further said that the emerging situation has therefore called for an alternative method of cremation that practically needs less quantity of fuel wood as well as manpower.

Electric crematorium shall be the ultimate choice considering the low impact on environment and ecology, sustainability and cost effectiveness and other advantages over conventional system of cremation, he said.

An electric crematorium

While the conventional method requires around a dozen of people and around 300 kg of firewood to cremate a body, the electric crematorium requires only 2/3 people and the whole process of cremation can be completed within an hour, Shyamsundar said.

As such, the unhygienic, decentralized and outdoor method of conventional cremation must be replaced by the electric cremation, which is hygienic, centralized and indoor, he said.

Garbage and Sewerage Management . Imphal denizen Manjit Ch has opined that it won't be wrong to say that Imphal has survived the past many years with minimum amenities.

The State Government's lackadaisical approach towards the woes of the people remains much to be blamed, he said.

The smart solutions developed by the Centre mentions waste management as one of the prominent features, he said and added that the Manipur Government lacks a proper policy on waste and sewerage management.

Garbage collected from in-and-around Imphal city is mindlessly dumped at Lamphelpat and Langol areas.

It is a regular scene in Khwairamband Keithel to see garbage strewn all over the places, he said.

Recycling and compost plants could be a boon to such a menace.

Dry and processed garbage could be an option to fuel the thermal power plants, Manjit pointed out.

Lack of proper sewerage system is a major concern of Imphal.

Effluents untreated are directly dumped into rivers like Nambul and Imphal, he said.

The time has come where the State lawmakers need to ponder and take concrete action on these issues as a priority, he said.

The city must not repeat the mistakes committed by some of the major cities of the country and Imphal denizens must not forget that the first impression of a city definitely lies on its cleanliness.

In this regard, denizens of Imphal must play a very crucial and equal role in its development, he said.

Manjit opined that the public needs to educate themselves to stop mindless dumping of waste materials.

Segregation of wet and dry wastes should be made a daily habit in every household while debris like plastic bags, construction materials, etc need to be discarded responsibly to avoid choking of drainage system.

Saying that every year, the city suffers from floods in the areas which are either low-lying or near river banks, Manjit observed that a clean drainage system could help to prevent such man-made atrocities to a certain extent.

Akham Bimalchandra of Wangkhei Laishram Leikai, suggests
1) Agricultural land should not be affected.
2) 24 hours water and power supply.
3) Establish good and modernised health care centre, good educational institutes, ensure quality control while executing any work and building infrastructure, good roads, issue strict instructions to all contractors, improve garbage management, pollution free city .

Suggestions/inputs from James Khumukcham, Luwanshangbam .

Heartening to note that Imphal is amongst the 98 cities to be picked by the Government of India for developing to a Smart City.

1) Need to ensure that all Departments work smartly, particularly traffic management, pollution control, IMC.

2) Contractors too need to be told to maintain quality so that Imphal can become a Smart City.