First CNG crematorium ready, five more to be set up soon

New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) The first CNG crematorium in Delhi at Nigambodh Ghat is now ready for operation with construction work on six such units having been completed.

Talking to reporters here after inspecting the CNG facility the first one in Delhi to run on the gas, the chairman of the MCD Standing committee Vijender Gupta said the coming up of such crematoriums in the city was a measure towards introducing a pollution-free and a cost effective cremation system.

Mr Gupta said a total expenditure of Rs 2.24 crore had been incurred on installation of all the six units at Nigambodh Ghat.

Mr Gupta said the MCD had adopted the policy of encouraging CNG-based crematoria over conventional fuel wood and electricity-based ones as they are not only convenient and cost effective but also eco-friendly.

While the time required for cremation at these crematoriums was two hours, compared to four hours for electric crematoriums and ten hours for wood-based units, the cost of cremation in units running on CNG was Rs 500, as against Rs 1000 for wood-based units and Rs 1200 for electric crematoriums, Mr Gupta said.

He said keeping in view the cost effectiveness of these units and with a view to providing a pollution-free cremation in Delhi, the MCD proposed to set up a total of 14 CNG units this year in the existing crematoriums at Nigambodh Ghat, Bela Road Ghat and Punjabi Bagh either through conversion of electric cremation units to the CNG-operated units or by construction of new CNG units.

Mr Gupta said besides the CNG crematorium at Nigambodh Ghat, the CNG crematorium at Bela road was also functioning. The Punjabi Bagh unit would be completed within the next two months.

Further, the MCD planned to set up five CNG crematoriums in the city - while the existing electric crematorium would be converted to a CNG one, new CNG crematoriums would be set up at Sarai kale Khan, Green Park, Dwarka and Rohini, Mr Gupta said.

Presently, most of the dead bodies are cremated by the conventional method, i.e, through use of fuel wood. For cremation of a dead body, nearly 300 to 350 kg of fuel wood is required. The quantum of fuel wood required is huge and at the same time the amount of pollutants released due to incomplete combustion in the conventional method is detrimental to the sustainabilty of bio diversity.

UNI