City gets LPG crematorium

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16

City MP Kirron Kher today inaugurated an LPG crematorium in Sector 25. Started by the MC, this is the first crematorium which is eco-friendly, economical and less time consuming. The electric furnace consumes round-the-clock electricity to maintain the required temperature, whereas the gas burner is switched on only during the cremation.

Two gas-based furnaces have been provided by Kher at a cost of Rs 1.09 crore from the MPLAD Fund. The crematorium requires only 17 to 18 kg of gas to cremate a body in an hour and a half. The cost is around Rs 1,000 per body. Besides saving money, it will also serve the environment cause.

The electric crematorium was installed in 1977 by the UT Administration with one electric furnace as a pollution-free alternative to cremation using wood.

Another electric furnace was installed in 2008 after the earlier one developed a snag which was beyond repair.

The cremation of a body consumes four trees, whereas in a gas burner, only one commercial gas cylinder is sufficient to cremate a body.  

Sanjay Kumar Jha, Commissioner,  Manoj Kumar Bansal, Chief Engineer, councillors and officers of the MC  were also  present.