MCD to develop 3 model crematoria in Delhi with alternative fuels

Officials said they will bid to replace wood with alternative fuels, as well as experiment with logs made of cattle dung, to cut wood use

New Delhi

MCD oversees operations at 59 traditional cremation grounds (wood-based), and 13 burial grounds. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has directed the public health department to set up three model crematoria aimed at reducing emissions and significantly reducing the use of firewood. The facilities will be developed at Green Park, Dwarka and Jwala Nagar, standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma said.

Officials said they will bid to replace wood with alternative fuels, as well as experiment with logs made of cattle dung, to cut wood use.

A municipal official said that a meeting under the chairmanship of Sharma took place. “We have held meetings with NGOs and other stakeholders. The next meeting has been fixed for January 6. A survey of all municipal and private cremation grounds has been carried out,” the official said.

Conversion of traditional crematoria to cleaner fuels is a mandate under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). A 2016 source apportionment study conducted by IIT Kanpur, which assessed 53 cremation sites, found that they were adding 4% of toxic carbon monoxide emissions. It found that over 2129kg of carbon monoxide, 33kg of sulphur dioxide, 346kg of PM10 and 312kg of PM2.5 dust particles were being emitted every day by cremations.

Officials said that while increased cow dung use could reduce firewood use, it may not reduce emissions on the whole. “Chimneys with scrubbers and emission absorption mechanism can prove to be more useful along with moving to natural gas and electric crematoria,” the official said.

The Delhi government’s environment department has estimated that around ₹125 crore would be needed to convert 32 wood and biomass-fuelled crematoriums to PNG and cleaner fuels. According to the annual report on registration of births and deaths in Delhi, the city registered 139,480 deaths in 2024.

MCD oversees operations at 59 traditional cremation grounds (wood-based), and 13 burial grounds. The number of facilities offering alternative modes of cremation is 10, nine of which have 22 CNG-based furnaces and one electric.