The Hongtsho crematorium located along the Thimphu-Punakha Highway is always left without security personnel or a caretaker. Due to this, the facility is littered with waste turning it into a garbage dump yard. With more than three bodies being cremated at the site weekly, the Chang Gup raised the concern during the recent Thimphu Dzongkhag Tshogdu. She highlighted the need for a committee to take care of the facility.
Currently, the gewog office is taking care of the cremation ground.
However, during the Dzongkhag Tshogdu session, Chang Gup said that either the gewog administration should be provided funds to manage the cremation ground or the district administration should take over the responsibility.
“Our country prioritises environmental conservation. But Hongtsho Chiwog is facing environmental pollution. People carelessly throw the ashes and remains in the stream nearby which pollutes the water. This is not good for those residing along the streams in the valley below,” said Sonam Zangmo, Chang Gup.
“Even if we try to coordinate and clean the area, people are reluctant to clean it as it is a cremation ground. As a chiwog representative, it is my duty to clean it, so I have to organise cleaning campaigns by paying from my own pocket. I coordinated a cleaning campaign about three times paying 800 ngultrum per individual,” said Minjur Wangmo, Hongtsho Tshogpa.
The Tshogpa added that although a cleaning campaign is carried out in the entire chiwog once in three months, it is hard to maintain cleanliness at the crematorium.
“Although it is clean these days after the recent clean-up, it usually remains very dirty. The small houses made as altar would be filled with cow dung and the people leave their wastes all over the place. People from all walks of life come here to cremate their loved ones because of the waste here, it would apparently look like the community is not taking care of it,” said Kinley Wangmo, a resident.
According to the gup, officials visited the area and conducted a survey to expand the cremation ground to a 16-acre national crematorium last year.
The Dzongkhag Tshogdu chairperson said that there were plans to relocate the cremation ground at Hejo to Hongtsho. However, there is no further information on it as yet.
The Dzongkhag Tshogdu decided to forward the concern to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Namgay Dema
Edited by Kipchu
