MC discourages wood-based cremation to curb pollution

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, March 2

The Municipal Corporation (MC), Yamunanagar-Jagadhri has started a campaign to discourage wood-based cremation with a purpose to save trees and curb air pollution.

Residents would be encouraged to use electric crematoriums or cow dung cakes to cremate bodies. Under the awareness drive, the MC officials have begun to put banners on the entry gates of cremation grounds, appealing to the people to not use wood for cremation. The MC authorities have started this campaign after the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) wrote a letter to all the commissioners of Municipal Corporations in the state as well as the district and all the executive officers/secretaries of Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees in January.

The letter was sent by an Executive Engineer of the ULB, mentioning about an order passed by the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), recommending steps to discourage wood-based cremation while hearing a complaint in 2022.

As per the letter, the HHRC recommended creating awareness among people to ensure the acceptance of electric/PNG crematoria.

The commission also suggested the rejuvenation and redevelopment of cremation grounds as parks with dense trees and flower beds. It also asked the residents to plant trees in the memory of departed souls.

“At the cremation grounds, self-help groups and unemployed youth can be promoted to set up shops selling eco-friendly and reasonably-priced material required for cremation,” read the letter.

Ayush Sinha, Municipal Commissioner, Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, said hundreds of quintals of wood is used every year for the cremation. So far, there is only one electric crematorium in the district.