In a change from traditional practices, a foundation stone of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)-based crematorium was laid at city’s oldest cremation ground on Patiala- Rajpura road.
“The machine will be ready to use within two to three months,” said deputy commissioner(DC) Ramvir Singh.
He appealed the residents to shed their traditional practices and adopt this practice for cremating the bodies which is also an environmental friendly alternative.
“Tons of fire woods are used every month at the cremation ground,” said DC Singh. “Not only the move attempts to control the pollution but it will also reduce the cost of cremation by approx 50%,” he added.
Singh also claimed that it will be first such gas run crematorium in Punjab.
“The total cost of the machine is approximately Rs 62 lakh, which is partly funded by government agencies and rest by NGOs,” he said.
An NGO member Dr Madan Lal Hasreje said, “The new move may invite opposition from few quarters and it may not be suddenly put to use.” “But with rising pollution, we need to adopt to modern practices,” he said
He said, “One can still perform rituals following this practice too but the only difference is in the burning procedure which will be done through gas rather than firewood.”
{{/usCountry}}He said, “One can still perform rituals following this practice too but the only difference is in the burning procedure which will be done through gas rather than firewood.”
{{/usCountry}}“More than 500-600 kg of firewood is reduced to ashes every day here at cremation ground, which can be saved for the larger environmental benefits,” Hasreje he said. A city based president of ring- wing organisation Ravi Kant however said that the machine was against traditional practices and not acceptable to them.