KOCHI: The renovation work of the Ravipuram crematorium, the prime task to be included under the ‘Kochi First’ concept of the Corporation, will begin next week. The work, implemented on a Public-Private-Participation (PPP) mode, will be carried out jointly by the Ernakulam Rotary Club and the Corporation. The total cost is estimated at Rs 95 lakh of which the Rotary Club will contribute Rs 60 lakh.It is learnt that the plan is to build an eco-friendly crematorium which will work on bio-gas and solar energy. The existing crematorium at Ravipuram that uses firewood for cremation will continue to run till the new one becomes operational.“The renovation work of the crematorium will be inaugurated by Excise Minister K Babu on Monday. The Rotary Club undertakes the work as a service. They will be allowed to put a name board at the entrance of the crematorium as a recognition for their work,” said Mayor Tony Chammany.The electric crematorium at Ravipuram was inaugurated in the late 90s but its operations came to a standstill in 2008. The electric connection to the crematorium was disconnected in 2009 as the civic body failed to pay the electricity bills. Later, the then Corporation authorities renovated the crematorium.The work is expected to be completed within three months. “Earlier, the expected cost was estimated at Rs 1.5 crore. But after finding that the existing building is strong, the committee decided not to demolish it. The cost estimate was revised accordingly,” the Mayor added.The major aim of the ‘Kochi First’ concept is to include civilians in the planning process and bridge the communication gap that was built between the Corporation and society over time. It also aims at ensuring more participation of the public in the projects that the Corporation undertook
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