Rats chew away power line, crematorium in Kolkata shut
Times of India | 28 November 2024
123 Kolkata: Rats wreaked havoc on Cossipore Ramakrishna Mahasamadhi crematorium in north Kolkata, compelling the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to suspend cremation operations for over 12 hours on Wednesday.
The persistent rodent nuisance, which has periodically plagued various parts of the city, necessitated the closure of the entire facility with rats gnawing through the 6KV high-tension cable powering the facility, triggering a short circuit and disrupting power to all four electric furnaces around 9.10am. Fortuitously, no body were being cremated at that moment.
CESC personnel, who promptly arrived at the crematorium, discovered that a substantial number of rats had infiltrated the high-tension switch box supplying power to the crematorium, leading to a complete system failure.
Numerous bodies brought for cremation, without prior knowledge of the closure, required redirection to alternative facilities.
Adjacent crematoriums were notified about the power outage. CESC workers had been labouring since morning to restore services, though they suggested full power restoration might not occur until late evening.
A KMC health department official stated that due to the abrupt suspension of cremation services, civic officials and staff at Nimtolla crematoria were notified to accommodate increased demand.
Staff at the Cossipore crematorium reported an ongoing rodent infestation in the vicinity.
A KMC electrical department source revealed thatafter this disruption, officials at all city crematoriums had been instructed to monitor electrical installations vigilantly.
"Managing a similar situation at larger crematoriums like Keoratala or Nimtala would prove exceptionally challenging. Protecting electrical installations is crucial for uninterrupted cremation services," explained a KMC health department official.
Previously, rat-related issues had caused floodlight failures at the Salt Lake Stadium in 2004 during an India-Japan football match.