This is one of the hardest times of life. While the prices of all commodities, including essential commodities, are very high, there is a shortage of many commodities. Accordingly, the people living in this country are in a very difficult situation. In the meanwhile, not only in this age of living, but also in a state of inability to die in comfort. Today, Sri Lanka is facing a difficult time to conduct the funeral.
“At present there are over five hundred large scale funeral parlors in Sri Lanka spread all over the island. This funeral service provides an essential service. However, today a situation has arisen where this service cannot be carried out properly. There are several reasons for this situation, ”said Mahinda Panagoda, President of the All Ceylon Funeral Directors Association.
Burial of the body is a major part of the funeral service. Medication must be done to keep the bodies for a few days. About three months ago the price of 30 liters of formalin was nine thousand five hundred rupees. But its present price is sixteen thousand five hundred rupees. With the exception of a few major funeral parlors in the Colombo District, many other funeral parlors use formalin imported from the State Chamber of Commerce. There has been a shortage of them in the past and now that the deficit has reduced to some extent, its price is very high. Although it is used by small funeral entrepreneurs, many funeral directors in the Colombo district use various chemicals imported from different countries for this purpose. As a result, with the increase in the price of these chemicals, which are used to keep the dead body for a few days, the prices of all the related processes are gradually increasing.
Moratuwa is known as a city famous for its carpentry industry. Coffins are often made in Moratuwa. Coffins are transported daily from that city to many parts of the world. But today the industry is in a very problematic situation.
'' Today timber prices are very high. Also, the industry is facing a major crisis due to the inability to find timber and the lack of fuel to transport it. The current price of a coffin, which was Rupees. 5,000 a few months ago, is now Rupees. 10,000. Some even say that coffins are made of rubber. But you can't make boxes out of rubber wood. A single rubber stick does not strengthen a coffin. Therefore, woods imported from Albizia, Rukattana and Malaysia are mostly used for this purpose. In addition, coffins are made of wood, such as mahogany and satin, which are very expensive. Making a box does not end there. It needs to be cushioned. It needs to be polished. Different parts have to be fitted. The price of all this is already very high. Even the box satin fabric is imported. There is a shortage of them today, ”said Mahinda Panagoda.
Flowers have a special place not only at funerals but also at weddings. Even though wreaths are a staple at funerals today, wreaths are still very expensive. The shortage of flowers today is not a situation of yesterday. The shortage of flowers began about a year ago when the government stopped importing fertilizer. The government has stopped the import of fertilizers saying that it is not appropriate to apply chemical fertilizers to vegetables, paddy fields and fruits and it is not practical to ban it for flowering plants as well. But what happened was that we had to stop applying chemical fertilizers to the flowers as well. Soon the flowers did not produce proper, healthy flowers. Although flowers such as orchids and anthuriums were imported, with the cessation of chemical fertilizers, all those industrialists had to cease their business. Today, many businessmen who used to supply flowers to foreign countries have given up their business ventures. Although many people in the upcountry areas such as Diyatalawa, Bandarawela, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, where the flowers are mostly grown, cultivate a large number of acres as self-employment, today all that has become a loss making industry. Due to the lack of chemical fertilizers applied to the flowers, the industry is being hampered due to the lack of proper appearance and size of the flowers. One of the main reasons for the collapse of this industry today is the lack of fuel to transport these flowers grown upcountry all over the island. Due to these reasons, there are no flowers available for funerals today.
'' The shortage of gas is also a major factor influencing funeral arrangements. There is a shortage of gas in some crematoria. When that happens they have to be transferred to other crematoria or have their bodies buried. There are times when some bodies have to be kept in the crematorium for another day or two due to lack of gas after a time has been set aside for cremation. Lack of gas is a serious problem for crematoria. It has greatly affected our industry. Today, some crematoriums have been closed due to gas shortages, ”said Mr. Panagoda.
The importation of funeral vehicles has been stopped since two years ago. Accordingly, there is a shortage of funeral vehicles in some flower shops today. Some vehicles are now dilapidated. There is a situation where they cannot be used. Funeral vehicles have not been imported since the importation of vehicles was stopped. In the past, corpses were taken to cemeteries by human hands. In the distant past, corpses were also carried by carts. But at present it is not possible to carry a body in a funeral vehicle. It has been severely affected by the shortage of vehicles as well as the existing fuel problem. No one likes to carry bodies in private vehicles. However, due to the traffic situation at the funeral, it may be possible to carry a body in a normal vehicle in the future.
The current fuel crisis is also a major obstacle to funerals. There is also a situation where the body cannot be taken to the relevant places. This is a serious problem especially when transporting a body to the outlying areas. Due to all these factors, the funeral service has become a very difficult industry.
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