The electric crematorium that is now closed. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Dec. 5: The sole electric crematorium maintained by the municipal corporation at Khannagar has been shut down once again following technical problems.

This is the second time in two months that this has happened. It had to be closed down earlier in October when heavy rain damaged one of its coils.

Sources said water had been leaking from the ceiling of the crematorium for which the furnace remained non-functional for nearly one and half months. Waterlogging is a big problem in the area because of the level of the crematorium is lower compared to the level of the Ring Road.

“Each coil costs around Rs 18,000 and since the electric furnace has to run round the clock, the machine breaks down frequently. The coil has to be procured from Calcutta for which it takes nearly a week to repair it,” said a crematorium employee who did not want to be named.

The electric crematorium was established in 1985 and it takes care of 30 to 40 bodies a month. The civic body charges Rs 150 for cremating an adult person and Rs 50 for children below nine years of age.

“The civic body does nothing to maintain the electric crematorium,” said Narendra Swain, a local resident. He said a large number of people prefer the electric crematorium because many cannot afford to spend between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000 for a wooden pyre.

The heat retaining capacity of the bricks used inside the chimney and furnace has also decreased with time for which the electricity consumption has also increased manifold.

Councillors said the Cuttack Municipal Corporation councillors should take concrete measures to renovate the existing electric furnace and that steps should also be taken to look for eco-friendly and energy-efficient technology.

“The corporation should try to replicate energy efficient and pollution free biomass gasifier crematoriums that have come up in different parts of the country,” said the corporation’s health committee member Kedar Prusty.

“We have initiated measures to repair the two coils that have been damaged and the electric crematorium will be made operational within 15 days,” said commissioner of the corporation Pratap Das.