E-Paper
PCB electric crematorium dead since April, firewood cremation challenging in monsoon
Civil society members and former elected members of the PCB have further alleged that the neglected crematorium has become a hotspot for the sale of illicit liquor and for antisocial elements
The work of repair and replacement of the Pune Cantonment Board’s (PCB’s) electric crematorium has been the worst hit due to lack of government funds since the past three years. In April, a blast ripped apart the crematorium, also causing its chimney to collapse. Currently, only the traditional system of lighting the funeral pyre is operational although demand for electric cremation is higher during the monsoon season.
Residents have complained about the negligible presence of PCB’s electric and other department staff and the lack of security guards. Santosh Gaikwad, a cantonment resident, said, “The burning of wood is a big challenge during the rainy season and if corpses are left half burnt, animals can prey on the dead which should be avoided. We want the government to fund the new crematorium work instead of the administration going with a begging bowl to social organisations.”
Civil society members and former elected members of the PCB have further alleged that the neglected crematorium has become a hotspot for the sale of illicit liquor and for antisocial elements. Former elected member of the PCB, Dilip Giramkar, said that the PCB administration is not paying any attention to the upkeep and maintenance of the crematorium. “During the monsoon, the corpses don’t burn and half-burnt bodies can be taken away by animals as there are no PCB workers to monitor the cremation on a daily basis. The security guards are missing and currently, antisocial elements are occupying the crematorium space for selling illicit liquor and other banned activities. There are no funds from the central government for the crematorium and the situation on ground is horrible,” Giramkar said. He added that he had informed the police about the antisocial activities taking place at the crematorium and urged the board administration to pay heed to the demands of the cantonment residents.
In 2021, the PCB had sent a proposal seeking Rs1.50 crore from the principal director of defense estates (PDDE), southern command, for setting up two CNG-operated furnaces at the crematorium. According to PCB CEO Subrat Pal, due to lack of funds and their precarious financial condition, the board administration eventually approached the Lions Club which agreed in principle to fund the new crematorium infrastructure at the existing location. The old furnace at the electric crematorium was set up in 2002 but grew obsolete with years of usage. Both before and after Covid-19, the furnace wasn’t functioning properly, inciting the wrath of cantonment residents.
Pal told Hindustan Times, “The board has been facing a severe financial crisis for the past few years. The life of the electric crematorium has ended as it has grown old and it had to be shut down after the blast in April. Its chimney too fell down and currently, only the wood fire system is operational. The Lions Club agreed to donate the entire amount of Rs2 crore for setting up the CNG-operated furnaces. According to pollution control guidelines, the new furnaces will run on clean energy and will lead to less pollution and will be environmentally friendly. The new facility will take around a month to become functional.”
The old crematorium was specially constructed at a cost of Rs80 crore at Dhobi ghat on Shankar Sheth road. The crematorium has a fireproof brick lining, steel control panels and furnaces where the temperatures can be varied from 650 to 1,000 degree centigrade for cremation.
Demands of cantonment residents
CCTV surveillance
Police action against illicit activities taking place during early hours
Presence of security guards
Deployment of PCB staffers for monitoring cremation
