CNG-powered cremation facility at Khannagar crematorium

Bhubaneswar: Residents of Cuttack can now choose to cremate the bodies of their loved ones using an eco-friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) furnace at the Khannagar crematorium. The facility was made operational on Thursday.

This Cuttack Municipal Corporation’s initiative, part of the Cuttack Smart City (CSC) project, aims to reduce pollution and decrease the reliance on traditional wood for cremations.While the facility was inaugurated six months ago, it had remained inactive due to a shortage of the necessary technical staff to operate it. The service is available for a fee of Rs 2,000 per cremation, with each process lasting approximately 45 minutes. The total investment for establishing the CNG-based cremation system amounted to Rs 4.25 crore.

The Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) built the state-of-the-art crematorium, which includes amenities such as changing rooms, bathing and toilet facilities, proper lighting, and drinking water, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The facility was inaugurated on August 31, 2024, by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, in the presence of Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahatab, local MLAs, and corporators.

“This was a much-needed service for Cuttack,” said CMC Mayor Subhash Singh. “The second CNG-based cremation facility at Sati Chaura is nearing completion. We had initially sought cost estimates from GAIL, and they quoted Rs 1,600. However, we’ve set the service fee at Rs 2,000. This new facility will allow multiple cremations to be carried out daily,” he added.