PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has sought help from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-linked National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), to tackle air pollution in the area around the Vaikunth crematorium, located in a residential area of Pune city.
Residents and an NGO filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court on the issue of pollution at Vaikunth crematorium.
The PMC Standing Committee approved a proposal to conduct a study and audit of the crematorium and give recommendations to minimise the pollution. The committee has approved ₹17 lakh for the project involving NEERI.
Hemant Rasane, chairman, standing committee, said, “PMC requested CSIR-NEERI to inspect and perform amn assessment of the air pollution control system at Vaikunth crematorium and suggest if any modification is needed to improve the air quality. We have set a six-month deadline for them to submit the report to the PMC.”
Shriniwas Kandul, additional city engineer, electrical department of the corporation, said, “The corporation has taken precautions to control pollution at Vaikunth crematorium, however, due to PIL filed, the court has given directives to take necessary measures to control pollution. So, the corporation has taken the decision to appoint NEERI to conduct a study and submit a report with recommendations.”
He added, “The recommendations will be implemented at Vaikunth crematorium as well as at other crematoriums in the city to control the air pollution.”
{{/usCountry}}He added, “The recommendations will be implemented at Vaikunth crematorium as well as at other crematoriums in the city to control the air pollution.”
{{/usCountry}}Of the 24 cremation facilities in the city, 10 are electric and 13 are operated on gas. Three crematoria have both electrical and gas facilities.
Meanwhile, residents in the neighbourhood of Vaikunth crematorium have registered complaints of air pollution due to a spike in cremations of Covid fatalities. PMC, on record, cremated 589 Covid bodies in April-May using white coals at various crematoria in the city.