LUCKNOW, Sept. 13 -- The absence of basic facilities at cremation grounds does add to an already difficult experience. Several such sites across Lucknow have continued to serve residents for years without proper seating, boundary walls and other basic amenities. Now the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has identified 16 cremation grounds for phased redevelopment. The municipal body had conducted a survey a month ago to check on the state of structures built on their land and which it maintains. The civic body's survey also identified 13 ponds across different parts of the city for redevelopment and protection, putting neglected public-use spaces on its infrastructure priority list. The LMC will first secure the identified cremation grounds by constructing boundary walls to prevent encroachment. It will then develop basic facilities, including seating arrangements and other amenities for people visiting the sites. "Several cremation grounds are operating on our land, but there are no proper facilities at these locations. We will secure the land by constructing boundary walls and develop basic infrastructure, including seating arrangements and other necessary facilities," additional municipal commissioner Abhinav Ranjan Srivastava said. At present, Gulala Ghat, Bhaisakund on VIP Road and Bainkunth Dham near the 1090 crossing remain among Lucknow's major cremation centres. Residents living in areas away from these facilities often depend on smaller cremation grounds. The LMC survey found such sites spread across multiple municipal zones, indicating that the problem is not limited to one locality. Among the identified sites are the Hindu Shamshan Ghat in Garhi Kanaura, Talkatora, in Zone 2; Puraniya Baikunth Dham in Naya Purwa on Sitapur Road and Kharagpur Shamshan Ghat in Sector 3 of Jankipuram Extension in Zone 3. In Zone 4, the civic body identified a cremation site near Pakka Talab on Kotwali Road, opposite Boson Hospital, and another in Vinamra Khand near LPS School on Satrikh Road in Chinhat. The survey also identified 13 ponds, including Kesari Kheda Pond in Zone 5, Gauri Bazar and Sarojini Nagar First in Zone 5, Aurangabad and a pond near Shaheed Path in Zone 8, and Pakka Talab on Prem Bagh Road in Chinhat. For residents, protecting these water bodies could also help preserve local rainwater-retention spaces. Officials said ponds capture rainwater and surface runoff and allow water to gradually percolate into the ground, supporting groundwater recharge. Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar said that the LMC would execute the work in phases: securing the sites being the first priority. "The priority is to secure the land and prevent any kind of encroachment. We will subsequently improve the infrastructure at these cremation grounds in a phased manner," he said....