India News | After Objections, Mandi Administration in HP Urged to Cremate Bodies in Wood Gasifier Crematorium
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The management of a crematorium in Sundernagar of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has urged the district administration to cremate any person who succumbs to COVID-19 in future at a wood gasifier-based cremation system located at the premises after objections were raised by local residents of cremating the bodies in the open.
Mandi (HP), Jun 10 (PTI) The management of a crematorium in Sundernagar of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has urged the district administration to cremate any person who succumbs to COVID-19 in future at a wood gasifier-based cremation system located at the premises after objections were raised by local residents of cremating the bodies in the open.
The Chandpur Shamshanghat Vikas Samiti has urged the district administration to do so in future after strong objections were raised by local residents of cremating two persons who died of COVID-19 in the open at Dadour on the banks of Suketi rivulet in Balh subdivision a few days ago.
Also Read | Delhi LG Anil Baijal Directs Hospitals to Display Bed Availability on LED Boards Amid COVID-19 Crisis.
The crematorium management in Mandi's Sundernagar subdivision stated that the cremation would be more economical and eco friendly at the wood gasifier–based cremation system.
On the contrary, the district administration is planning to set up a new crematorium at Dadour in Balh subdivision for the last rites of patients who die of COVID-19 at the site.
Balh Subdivisional Magistrate Aashish Sharma said the tehsildar was ordered to demarcate the land for the site of a crematorium at Dadour on the banks of Suketi river.
The respective sites are nearly 10 km apart from each other.
"The district administration is ready to spend a huge amount for setting up the crematorium at the site for which the public is objecting but it seems reluctant to consider using an already existing system at Chandpur crematorium, which is not very far from Ner Chowk Medical College where critical COVID-19 patients in Mandi district are kept," the crematorium management president Amerjeet Singh said.
A few days ago, the local residents opposed the move to set up a crematorium at Dadour. Last month, they even tried to block the path when the officials were on their way to cremate a woman who died due to COVID-19. Following the incident, a case was registered against 20 people including three ward members of Ner Chowk municipal council.
Samiti president Amarjeet Singh said only 75 kg fuel is used in the wood gasifier system in which the body is kept in a tray with no chances of any environmental hazard and contamination.
As per available information, the wood gasifier-based cremation system at the Chandpur crematorium was donated by the Forest department 13 years ago. Engineers of The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) had made the novel system and handed it over to Chandpur Shamsanghat Vikas Samiti at Sundernagar in 2007 at a cost of Rs 16 lakh.
The system mainly consists of gasifiers for converting biomass into combustible gases, which are then converted into pre-heated gases that produce gas burners. The flame finally reaches the cremation chamber where the body is kept on a trolley. This was said to be the first project of its kind in northern India.
However, only 11 unclaimed bodies have been cremated here so far as people avoid it and opt to use the traditional system to cremate their near and dear ones, an attendant at the crematorium Mamu said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)