10 years on, LPG-run crematorium still to find favour with Amritsar residents
Neeraj Bagga
Amritsar, April 18
Thanks to the orthodox views associated with the cremation of the deceased and an indifferent attitude towards the environment, LPG and electric crematoriums continue to remain unpopular in the holy city despite being installed here over a decade ago.
The two LPG crematoriums were made operational in the city in March 2012 as part of the state government’s pilot project. Depending upon their success, the model was to be replicated in the rest
of the state too. However, its result remains far from encouraging.
One of the LPG crematoriums is at the Chatiwind gate, run by the Shamshan Sewa Samiti. Its manager, Krishan Gopal Arora, said, “About 4,000 bodies are cremated at the crematorium annually. Out of it, the share of LPG crematoriums account for less than 15 cremations annually. “It is not financially suitable as only Rs 2,500 is charged per cremation while annually over Rs 50,000 are spent on its maintenance.” The same is the case with the electricity-run cremation machine which was installed only five months back. This increased the monthly power utility tariff over Rs 50,000 while only three cremations took place.
Since the Shamshan Sewa Samiti charges only Rs 2,500 for each cremation, this is economically unviable, he averred.
Evan Kapoor, the chairman of Shivpuri, run by the Durgiana Committee, said in the case of the LPG-run crematorium, the ashes could be collected within an hour but hardly anyone was interested.
These crematoriums offer cremation at a very low cost, saving the precious green cover in comparison to the conventional method of cremation. Over 6,000 bodies are annually cremated at Shivpuri. Out of these, only a negligible number of bodies were cremated at LPG-run crematoriums. “The Durgiana Committee incurs the entire cost of a cremation at LPG run crematorium to reduce the pollution and stress on wood yet people prefer to ignore it. As many as eight commercial cylinders are exhausted for a cremation at the LPG run machine.” A cremation consumes about two and half quintals of wood. It causes a lot of pollution besides the loss of green cover.
A supervisor of a cremation ground said many people get the registration done for LPG cremation but they change their mind due to social pressure.
