more-in The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation is planning to upgrade two of its crematoriums into gas facilities. The tender for upgrading the facilities at Manari and Puthiyapalam at a cost of ?86.39 lakh was approved by the corporation council on Monday. The two crematoriums at present have four furnaces each, and they are operated using firewood. Incidentally, local residents have been complaining about the smoke emanating from the crematoriums causing unbearable stench, besides causing pollution. The idea of gas crematoriums was proposed in the council by Panniyankara councillor K. Nirmala. “Such pollution-free crematoriums are common even in neighbouring districts. It is high time we upgraded,” she said. “One [Liquid Petroleum Gas] cyclinder of 14 kg will be sufficient to cremate up to three bodies, and the usage of firewood will be very limited too,” Ms. Nirmala said. It takes around 1.5 hours to fully cremate a body, she added. Using LPG for cremation is also cost-effective. While traditional methods cost ?2,000 to ?5,000, cremation using LPG costs less than ?1,000. While upgrading the facilities, the existing furnaces will also be renovated. The council also approved the tender for maintaining another crematorium at Shanthinagar, Nallalam. Meanwhile, a project for renovating the electric crematorium on Mavoor Road is under way. “Electric crematoriums have not been so popular on the grounds that they do not leave behind bones which relatives of the dead usually collect. But it is a misconception. The burning level can be controlled in electric crematoriums,” corporation education standing committee chairman M. Radhakrishnan said.

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