Cuttack, Nov. 6: A council meeting of the municipal corporation has approved the introduction of LPG units at its crematoriums at Khannagar, Satichaura and Kaliaboda.
The meeting held on October 31 decided to replace the traditional wood-fire method and electric units at the crematoriums with LPG units.
"The crematorium at Khannagar would be the first to have such LPG units. We will complete the installation of the plant, which will cost around Rs 10 lakh, by the end of December," municipal commissioner Gyana Das said.
"The plant is eco-friendly and will not pollute the environment because it uses LPG to burn bodies. Two LPG cylinders will be sufficient to cremate three bodies and it will be quite economical as well," Das said.
Cremation using LPG furnaces is not only cost effective but also time saving, as it takes a maximum of 90 minutes to complete the process, he said.
The ash produced is also comparatively less and more bodies can be cremated in less space. The ashes of the deceased can be collected immediately after cremation to allow all Hindu rituals to be performed.
"Usually, people have to spend between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 for cremation with wood. An LPG cremation will cost Rs 250," the municipal commissioner said.
In addition to a place for cremation with wood, the Khannagar crematorium has an electric crematorium facility as well. The civic body spends nearly Rs 1 lakh per month on electricity charges against a monthly income of not more than Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000. The charge for cremating an adult in the electric units is Rs 250.
The cost of operating an electric unit is very high as the furnace has to be kept pre-heated, requiring uninterrupted power consumption.
"The LPG machines can be switched on and off. So, we have decided to shut down the electric units after the LPG machines are installed," said an official of the corporation's electricity wing.
Deputy mayor and head of the civic body's standing committee for finance, Ajay Barik, said: "The corporation had earmarked Rs 1.7 crore in its budget for the 2016-17 fiscal for construction and establishment of modern, eco-friendly crematoriums in the city."
The other two crematoriums will have the LPG-run units by June next year.
"Installation of LPG furnaces at Satichaura and Kaliaboda will take more time as both the crematoriums need to be renovated. Both crematoriums require the construction of new buildings for the purpose, unlike the Khannagar crematorium," said Barik.
Officials estimated the expenditure for installation of LPG units at these two crematoriums at Rs 50 lakh. Khirod Rout, a resident of Markatnagar, said: "Use of LPG would mark a shift to an eco-friendly way to dispose of bodies."
