Editorial Viewpoint
The Specter of doongerwadi
If there is one issue that continues to haunt the community it is the plight of the corpses consigned to the towers of silence. Every five to 10 years the issue raises its head and confounds the community’s decision makers.
Two major developments confront the ancient method of disposal: urbanization and the near extinction of vultures in several states of the country and in many countries in the world.
Just when the situation appeared hopeless, the solar concentrators were evolved. Reflective panels positioned atop steel scaffoldings direct the sun’s rays onto corpses placed on the dakhmas’ pavis (slots earmarked in three concentric rings for putting corpses).
But as time went on the efficacy of the solar concentrators has been questioned. Of course during the monsoon, the panels were not expected to function when the sun’s rays would be barred by the rain clouds on many days. But even at other times, if the panels were not properly maintained, cleaned and adjusted, their effectiveness would be limited.
In addition, only three of the five dakhmas are operational (the Framji Cowasji Banaji dakhma built in 1832 is not used as residents of the Grand Paradi Apartments adjacent to the doongerwadi lands can look into the tower and the Mody Hirjibhai Vatcha-Gandhi, the smallest dakhma built in 1670 is used for consigning corpses of Parsi women married to non-Parsis who continue to profess the Zoroastrian religion).
With three solar concentrators (only three per dakhma can be accommodated) and each corpse taking four days to dehydrate, only nine bodies can be accommodated in four days. With around three deaths a day, 12 bodies would be consigned in four days. So three bodies would be denied the benefit of the panels.
Aligning and cleaning the panels is another challenge. Armed with a broom affixed to an extended rod and a hose pipe connected to a pump that draws water from drums, washing the panels is a tricky operation. The on-site consultant Cyrus Siganporia fell from atop one of the solar concentrators and was seriously hurt. Thereafter the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) sanctioned six lakh rupees for a hydraulic ladder with a safety cabin to prevent future accidents. With only one such ladder and three dakhmas to maintain, a tar road had to be constructed to facilitate the movement of the ladder from tower to tower.
Also, as the trees planted around the dakhmas grow taller to restrict viewing of the corpses from the surrounding high-rises, they will cut off or lessen the hours of sunshine that can be reflected onto the corpses.
On the Anjuman dakhma built in 1778, both the solar concentrators and the ozone gas contraption are operational. The ozone gas which facilitates the decomposition of the body and nullifies the stench, is pumped 24 hours a day through a galvanized duct.
In order to ascertain the extent of bodily dehydration, the solar concentrators are fitted with a mirror positioned so that a person at ground level outside the dakhma can view the corpse while operating the panels. This means anybody else who manages to sneak up to the towers can also view the corpse.
Residents of Godrej Baug and Spenta complain about the stench emanating from the corpses placed in the towers. Many keep their windows closed on the side of the building facing doongerwadi.
Workers at a high rise building under construction near doongerwadi also complained of having to view naked bodies while they were working. This resulted in the corpses being covered with a white sheet when being placed in the towers.
The possibility of vultures returning to doongerwadi in the near future are slim. With the drug diclofenac being banned by the Government of India on May 11, 2006, according to a report in The Times of India dated May 23, 2006, it will be a number of years before the vulture population grows. Vultures breed slowly and
Two major developments confront the ancient method of disposal: urbanization and the near extinction of vultures in several states of the country and in many countries in the world.
Just when the situation appeared hopeless, the solar concentrators were evolved. Reflective panels positioned atop steel scaffoldings direct the sun’s rays onto corpses placed on the dakhmas’ pavis (slots earmarked in three concentric rings for putting corpses).
But as time went on the efficacy of the solar concentrators has been questioned. Of course during the monsoon, the panels were not expected to function when the sun’s rays would be barred by the rain clouds on many days. But even at other times, if the panels were not properly maintained, cleaned and adjusted, their effectiveness would be limited.
In addition, only three of the five dakhmas are operational (the Framji Cowasji Banaji dakhma built in 1832 is not used as residents of the Grand Paradi Apartments adjacent to the doongerwadi lands can look into the tower and the Mody Hirjibhai Vatcha-Gandhi, the smallest dakhma built in 1670 is used for consigning corpses of Parsi women married to non-Parsis who continue to profess the Zoroastrian religion).
With three solar concentrators (only three per dakhma can be accommodated) and each corpse taking four days to dehydrate, only nine bodies can be accommodated in four days. With around three deaths a day, 12 bodies would be consigned in four days. So three bodies would be denied the benefit of the panels.
Aligning and cleaning the panels is another challenge. Armed with a broom affixed to an extended rod and a hose pipe connected to a pump that draws water from drums, washing the panels is a tricky operation. The on-site consultant Cyrus Siganporia fell from atop one of the solar concentrators and was seriously hurt. Thereafter the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) sanctioned six lakh rupees for a hydraulic ladder with a safety cabin to prevent future accidents. With only one such ladder and three dakhmas to maintain, a tar road had to be constructed to facilitate the movement of the ladder from tower to tower.
Also, as the trees planted around the dakhmas grow taller to restrict viewing of the corpses from the surrounding high-rises, they will cut off or lessen the hours of sunshine that can be reflected onto the corpses.
On the Anjuman dakhma built in 1778, both the solar concentrators and the ozone gas contraption are operational. The ozone gas which facilitates the decomposition of the body and nullifies the stench, is pumped 24 hours a day through a galvanized duct.
In order to ascertain the extent of bodily dehydration, the solar concentrators are fitted with a mirror positioned so that a person at ground level outside the dakhma can view the corpse while operating the panels. This means anybody else who manages to sneak up to the towers can also view the corpse.
Residents of Godrej Baug and Spenta complain about the stench emanating from the corpses placed in the towers. Many keep their windows closed on the side of the building facing doongerwadi.
Workers at a high rise building under construction near doongerwadi also complained of having to view naked bodies while they were working. This resulted in the corpses being covered with a white sheet when being placed in the towers.
The possibility of vultures returning to doongerwadi in the near future are slim. With the drug diclofenac being banned by the Government of India on May 11, 2006, according to a report in The Times of India dated May 23, 2006, it will be a number of years before the vulture population grows. Vultures breed slowly and
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