State’s first pet crematorium to be built in Kolkata

The state’s first pet crematorium is going to come up in New Town soon, as the site selection has been done and the tender for the same has been floated. “The work will start once the firm is selected,” said Debashis Sen, chairman of West Bengal Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) on Monday.

The crematorium will be a tree height structure. On the ground, it will house an incinerator for medical waste and the medical waste will be collected from various health care institutions. 

The crematorium will be on the first floor and there will be an enclosure for the mourners. If everything goes as per the plan, the crematorium will start functioning from mid-2017. It may be mentioned that a pet park has already been set up at New Town where the entry fee is Rs 10.

The pets there play and move around freely. For sick pets, a pet hospital is also situated near the park. The construction of a crematorium for the pets is necessary as more and more people are keeping pets. 

Now for the owners, the situation gets difficult when the pets that become a part of the family die.

There are two places in the southern fringes where they are buried and the area is semi urban and rural. “The construction of a crematorium means that the last rites of the beloved pet animal is done with dignity,” said Aloke Roy, who has been keeping pets for the past five decades.

A spokesperson for Love and care for Animals, an NGO that works with stray animals particularly dogs said that despite repeated requests, the erstwhile government did not set up a crematorium for the pets.

“It will give much relief to the owners of pets and the move is welcomed,” the spokesperson said.

Kolkata, once the capital of imported pets, has once again regained its past glory. It is the centre of 

many imported pets like St Bernard, Greyhound, Afgan Hound, Rottweiler, GSD, Labrador, Bull Mastiff, Bulldog, Whippet and Pug. Six dog shows are held in the city every year.