IIT Ropar develops smokeless cremation cart requiring less wood as pandemic rages

Bodies will be cremated at high temperatures with 100 percent sterilisation in view of the rise in coronavirus mortalities

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar, in collaboration with Cheema Boilers, a Mohali-based firm engaged in manufacturing of combustion systems, has developed an eco-friendly technology that involves smokeless cremation of bodies on a cart at high temperatures with 100 percent sterilisation keeping in view of the rise in coronavirus mortalities in Punjab and elsewhere.

IIT Ropar develops smokeless cremation cart requiring less wood as pandemic rages

Prof Harpreet Singh, dean, ICSR&II (IIT Ropar), said, “Usually the wood costs about ₹2,500 for disposing a body. Therefore, the poor end up disposing partially burnt bodies, or even whole corpses in rivers. Also, a typical Hindu cremation in which a body is put on a three-foot high open air pyre can consume more than 400 kg wood to reduce the body to ashes. Now, this can be done with the help of this eco-friendly cremation cart.”

The technology is based on Wick Stove, in which the wick when lighted glows yellow and is converted into smokeless blue flames after installing the combustion air system over the wicks.

The cart has wheels and can be transported anywhere without much effort.

It has stainless steel trays on both sides for an easy removal of ash. The cart is equipped with combustion air for primary and secondary hot air system. Also, it works on temperature above 1000°C that ensures complete sterilisation.

Cheema Boilers managing director Harjinder Singh Cheema said, “We are providing the simplest and cheapest way of cremation, which can be performed with half of the wood required and can reduce the carbon footprint by half. This technology can also be used on LPG using domestic gas cylinders. But changing the mindset of people is an uphill task.”