Foundation of first-ever pet burial ground in state laid

Bengal's first state-run burial ground for the pets is coming up soon at New Town. The foundation of which was laid on Friday by HIDCO chairman Debashis Sen.

The Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) will set up the burial ground and it will be run by New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA). There are privately owned pet burial ground in South 24 parganas but this will be the first such owned by a state.

The burial ground is coming up on a three acre land. There will be a reception, a store, doctor's chamber, an emergency room and toilets. The pet lovers will be allowed to put up photos of their beloved pets too in a section. Work is on to fix the rate of burial and the timings when the ground will be open.

Burring the pets in and around Kolkata is a formidable looking problem for the owners. In the rural and semi-urban areas, pets are buried anywhere where land is available. In Kadamtala in Howrah, the owners of two Labradors that had won several trophies in Dog shows but the dogs had to be buried in a plot of land situated behind the house. Noted singer Tarun Bandopadhyay had to bury his she dog, a large breed German Shepherd Lisa in one corner of the house in South Kolkata and named the house after the beloved pet.

Saikat Banerjee, who owns as St Bernard and a Boxer said: "It is really painful when they die after staying with us for 10 years or more. It is a severe shock and on the top of it, there is no proper place to bury them. A place to bury them with proper respect is a welcome move."

Debashis Sen, chairman HIDCO said the land at the burial ground has been leveled and now construction will begin shortly. The construction of the boundary wall is complete. "Pet lovers can come and bury their beloved pets peacefully now," he said.

Renowned veterinary Dr Subhas Sarkar said now many people are keeping pets that include dogs, cats and even rabbits and so the need for a burial ground for the pets is the need of the hour. As it will be set up by HIDCO, we can expect best services and the pet owners will be much relieved to have a proper place to bury their beloved pets."