Bharatpur: Apna Ghar Ashram To Perform Last Rites In Gas Crematorium

This move will save around 400 tonnes of wood annually by reducing the number of tree felling for funerals and help reduce pollution from pyres.

Bharatpur:After making a significant contribution to human and animal services, the Apna Ghar Ashram in Bharatpur will extend the same towards the protection of the environment by performing the last rite of the devotees in the gas crematorium, discarding the age-old practice of using wood and fuel.

This move will save around 400 tonnes of wood annually by reducing the number of tree felling for funerals. In addition, the gas crematorium will be a perfect solution to the pollution from the billowing smoke of the funeral pyres.

Dr B M Bhardwaj, the founder of the ashram, said a gas-operated crematorium was constructed by Apna Ghar Ashram in Bharatpur at a cost of about Rs 20 lakh. Every month, around 250 to 300 devotees come to Apna Ghar Ashram, the majority of which are serious while some die midway.

Bhardwaj said despite being treated at home, about 70 Prabhujans die every month due to critical condition and age. Till now, their last rites were being performed with the traditional wood and fuel. Henceforth, the last rites are being performed in gas-based crematoriums. On average, 15 kg of PNG gas is used for the last rites of a person using the machine which costs about Rs 1,000 per body, in contrast to Rs 3,000 for the traditional cremation practices.

He said the wood-and-fuel method leads to a cloud of smoke being emitted by the funeral pyres which magnifies pollution. But being smokeless, the gas solution helps improve the environment by completing the entire process in just 40-50 minutes. Apart from this, the cost of cremation using fuel is about three times more than its gad-based version.