9 more crematoriums in city to get new eco-friendly system

MUMBAI: The BMC will set up an eco-friendly pyre cremation system at nine crematoriums across the city. BMC’s environmentally friendly pyre cremation system is a step towards reducing air pollution and environmental degradation.
According to BMC, currently, there are 10 electric crematoriums and 18 gas crematoriums in the city. Along with electric and gas crematorium, the use of eco-friendly pyre cremation systems is another step towards reducing pollution.Earlier, in 2020, the civic body had set up two similar systems, on a pilot basis at a crematorium in Sion, which, according to BMC, is functioning well. Subsequently, BMC’s mechanical and electrical department initiated a tender process for implementing the same system at nine other locations.
“Earlier, cremation was carried out in the open on a wood pyre. In the eco-friendly system, the body is placed on a trolley along with wood. The trolley is then slid into an enclosed furnace, which has an exhaust and releases smoke after purification. This not only helps control spread of smoke and pollutants into the surrounding area, but also ensures that the sentiments of the people about cremating in a traditional manner by using wood is also catered to. The rites can be performed before the trolley is slid into the furnace,” said a BMC official.
This system has a combustion chamber for cremation, and due to the furnace’s special design, minimum wood is used in the combustion process. Normally, between 350-400kg of wood is used for cremation, but in this system, only 100-125kg of wood is used, saving an average 250kg of wood. This will also help reduce the amount of carbon emissions. The system also has water scrubbers and cyclonic separators which help remove particulates and toxic gases from air pollutants released into the air through a 30-meter-high chimney.
The eco-friendly pyre cremation system will be set up at Bhoiwada crematorium, Gowari crematorium (Wadala), Vaikunthdham crematorium (Reay Road), Tagore Nagar crematorium (Vikhroli), Deonar Colony crematorium (Govandi), Amardham Postal Colony (Chembur), Babhai Crematorium (Borivli), Oshiwara crematorium and Shiv Dham (Goregaon).