Ba to get gas crematorium
Once completed, the crematorium is expected to provide families with a more appropriate facility for final rites while reducing pressure on burial land.
Friday 28 August 2026 | 07:30
Construction is underway at Varoko, while Government is also working with the community in Lovu, Lautoka, where work is expected to begin shortly.
Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs
Families in Ba will soon have access to a more dignified and environmentally friendly option for conducting final rites with the construction of a new gas-fired crematorium at the Varoko Hindu Shamshan Bhumi.
Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts Charan Jeath Singh officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, describing the project as an important investment that would meet community needs while respecting religious and cultural practices.
Government, through the ministry, has provided the gas-fired cremator for the facility.
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The equipment has already been delivered and is being safely stored by the committee until it is installed.
Mr Singh said the project went beyond providing equipment, highlighting the importance of culturally appropriate and environmentally responsible infrastructure.
“It represents an investment in a facility that responds to a genuine community need while respecting the religious and cultural practices of the people it will serve,” Mr Singh said.
Once completed, the crematorium is expected to provide families with a more appropriate facility for final rites while reducing pressure on burial land.
Government said greater use of cremation could help preserve land for agriculture, housing, infrastructure and other productive purposes.
The gas-fired system is also expected to reduce the need for traditional fuels and large quantities of firewood, providing a cleaner alternative and easing pressure on vegetation and forest resources.
The Varoko project is part of a wider Government programme to expand modern cremation facilities across Fiji.
The Tuatua crematorium in Labasa has been completed, while the Navua crematorium is expected to be commissioned next month.
Construction is underway at Varoko, while Government is also working with the community in Lovu, Lautoka, where work is expected to begin shortly.
Government said the expansion reflected its commitment to ensuring communities had access to facilities that respected religious and cultural practices while supporting the sustainable use of land and environmental resources.
