MCD to provide free cremation services
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will roll out free cremation services using electric and CNG-based facilities in coming weeks, in a move aimed at reducing air pollution and encouraging greener last rites.
According to civic authorities, the process of handing over the operation of 33 crematoriums to voluntary organisations is currently underway and the free service is expected to begin next month. The arrangement will initially be in place for two years, they said.
Officials said NGOs managing these facilities will receive financial assistance of around `500 per cremation to help cover maintenance and repair costs of electric and CNG furnaces.
The civic body has already approved a resolution to make such cremations free of charge as part of its push towards environmentally sustainable practices.
At present, CNG-based cremation facilities are available at nine locations across the city, including Sarai Kale Khan, Rohini Sector-26 (Kavlya Dham), Dwarka Sector-24, Green Park, Karkardooma, Ghazipur, Subhash Nagar, Punjabi Bagh and Hastsal.
An official said that a newly built crematorium at Sarai Kale Khan is also set to become operational soon. The facility is equipped with one CNG furnace and two electric furnaces, along with 22 traditional pyres.
According to the officials, the move is expected to ease the financial burden on families while promoting cleaner alternatives to conventional wood-based cremation, particularly when the city continues to grapple with high air pollution levels.
