Three more months for electric crematorium to come into operation

(Kalpana Poudel)

Kathmandu, Dec 2: The construction of the electric crematorium at the Pashupati Aryaghat area is gaining pace after falling into abeyance for a prolonged period of time.

The construction of the crematorium building started at an estimated cost of Rs 110 million two and half years ago, Pashupati Area Development Trust Member-Secretary Govinda Tondon said.

Trust's senior Director Shyam Shekhar Jha said the construction of the building is near completion while 70% of the preparations for placement of the corpses have also been complete.

The electric cremation machine was brought at a cost of Rs 36 million from the Indomen Engineering Service in Kolkata, India. An engineer from the Company is currently working to fix the machine at the crematorium.

The crematorium which will take at least three more months to come into operation has a freeze or cooling store which can house at least 20 bodies. Likewise, the crematorium also has a facility for a bathing room with cold and hot shower for people observing mourning rituals.    

An agreement has been reached with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for Rs 2.15 million worth of electricity supply as the crematorium house needs 24 hour supply of electricity once it comes into operation.

Director Jha said a sub-station is also under construction and added that the smoke emanating from the cremation would go through a filtering process so as to reduce air pollution.

Nepal Sanskrit University former Vice Chancellor Bidur Poudel said the operation of the Electric Crematorium House is the need of time.

We had organized an assembly for Pandits (Hindu priests) two decades ago to seek approval for operating such a crematorium, but the work has been very slow," said Poudel, who is also a former member of the Trust.

He said the cremation

of the corpses at the crematorium that lies between Pingaladevi and Pashupati Temple will accrue blessings in par with the cremation at the famous Aryaghat. The Aryaghat in Pashupati sees a daily influx of 15 bodies for cremation carried out as per Hindu ritualistic performance.

Poudel says the use of electric crematorium would save time, expenditure and help keep the environment clean and free of pollution. It will take at least 45 minutes for a body to be cremated at the crematorium, according to Director Jha. RSS