Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) is renovating five crematoriums and four burial grounds by carrying out extensive landscaping besides developing facilities like urinals and toilets, seating arrangements, sheds and boundary walls.

Work at three of the five crematoriums — at Mohalbani ghat in Jharia (at a cost of Rs 3.90 crore), and Telipara (Rs 1.39 crore) and Bastacola (Rs 1.07 crore) in Dhanbad — is nearing completion.

The renovation of the other two crematoriums — at Matkuria in Dhanbad (Rs 1.65 crore) and Liloristhan in Katras (Rs 2.74) — is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The construction work at two burials grounds — at Shamsher Nagar in Wasseypur (Rs 1.76 crore) and at Bhadrichak in Katras (Rs 57 lakh) — is also about to be completed.

The renovation of Jealgora burial ground in Jharia, worth Rs 54 lakh, is halfway through.

The beautification work of the fourth burial ground (over Rs 2.93 crore) at Rangatand at Dhanbad is yet to begin as tender process has not yet been finalised.

“The basic aim behind the move is to create an ambience where the bereaved families can spend some moments of serenity while they wait to perform the last rites of their dear ones,” Dhanbad mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal said.

He said the tender for burial ground at Rangatand would be finalised as soon as the new chief engineer joined duty and signed the file.

DMC executive engineer (civil) Om Prakash Singh said: “More than 80 per cent of work at Telipara and Mohalbani crematoriums is complete. We are now installing the seats, erecting sheds and constructing the boundary walls. We have provided water and electricity supply besides installing paver blocks on the walkway.”

Nisar Alam, councillor of Ward 17 in Wasseypur area of Katras, lauded the effort of the civic body. “The quality of work being carried out at Shamsher Nagar burial ground is quite good,” he said.