Four years on, CNG crematorium in DLF-III remains a non-starter

Gurgaon: A CNG crematorium built in DLF Phase III at a cost of Rs 85 lakh in May 2012 has been lying unused even as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday directed the Union environment ministry and Delhi government to initiate programmes to provide alternative modes of cremation of human remains.
The green court called for exploration of alternative modes of cremation as the traditional method of burning wood emitted hazardous pollutants.Successive MCG commissioners had promised to start the facility but failed to do so. MCG authorities said residents were not interested in using the facility owing to religious beliefs.
On Tuesday, the green court had observed that it is the responsibility of the men who lead, particularly religious leaders, to change the mindset of people practising their faith and make them adopt practices which are environment-friendly.
A traditional cremation costs around Rs 2,500, whereas in a CNG crematorium it costs only Rs 500. According to UN data, nearly 400-500kg of firewood is required to cremate a body, with 50 million trees consumed by funeral pyres across the country every year.
Such cremations produce 5,00,000 tonnes of ash and emit 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
MCG commissioner T L Satyaprakash said he would ensure facility is used at the earliest.
"It is true that a lot of pollution is caused due to cremations using wood. The green court had rightly pointed out the need for using environment-friendly means for funerals. A majority of people are against using the existing CNG facility owing to religious beliefs. However, I will ensure that this crematorium will be used from now on to cremate unclaimed bodies in the city," he said.
"The CNG crematorium in Phase III was constructed using lakhs of rupees from public money. However, this facility has not been used even once as people are unwilling to use it. Councillors should have factored in these religious sentiments before planning the project," an MCG official said.