Hi-Tech, Eco-Friendly,
Clean, Energy Efficient, 50% Economical and
Beautiful Crematorium comes up at Swarg Dhaam at
Alwal at a cost of Rs 45 lakh.
Hyderabad|India|December'2011: Swarg Dhaam, Alwal a model cremation
ground in Andhra Pradesh, located in city at Alwal is adding another
feature to its cap, a Gasifier Crematorium which runs on wood chips. A
crematorium in which burners will be powered by a biomass Gasifier, and
not the conventional electricity is ready for inauguration on December 24
in city. It will be the first biomass gasifier crematorium to be put up in
the state of Andhra Pradesh.
It is the most Hi-Tech, Eco-Friendly, Clean, Energy Efficient, 50%
Economical and Beautiful Crematorium set up at a cost of Rs 45 lakh.
It is an eco-friendly crematorium and at the same time functions as
efficiently as the crematoria powered by electricity. Biomass Gasifier is
non-conventional energy equipment, safe (closed chamber furnace. Hence it
is Safe) and environment friendly. It is easy to operate and needs less
maintenance. Wood – the renewable energy is the fuel for Biomass Gasifier
informed Sardar Rajwant Singh Gulati, the man behind the project.
Cremation dates to at least 20,000 years ago in the archaeological record
with the Mungo Lady, the remains of a partly cremated body found at Mungo
Lake, Australia.
Cremation of Dead bodies is a custom. Cremation is the last respect that
we pay to our beloved one. And we do it respectfully. It is the process of
reducing dead bodies to basic chemical compounds in the form of gases and
bone fragments. At presently cremation is done by either direct wood
burning or using Electrical Crematoriums. Both methods have got their own
advantages and disadvantages. Electrical Cremation though looks neat,
takes more time and needs huge power to the extent of 100 KW. Constant
Power supply is difficult at many places. The running costs are very high.
Open Wood burning though is adopted at many places, creates pollution and
is inefficient. But due to simplicity it is followed. In India, as many as
about 16500 deaths are registered per day. One crore people die in India
every year. Of these, 80 percent are cremated according to traditional
rites. On an average each cremation requires over 400 kg of wood worth
over Rs 600. Thus about 2.40 million tonnes of wood is consumed in
cremations annually. Biomass-based gasifier application in crematoria will
not only drastically cut down precious wood consumption, the system is
also seen to be socially acceptable since the body will be burnt in flames
from producer gas.
So far no one thought that Crematoriums can be made clean and beautiful
with gardens. It is a socially neglected place with no one interested to
stand there little longer than required. But Swarg Dhaam at Alwal made a
lot of difference. Spending more than Rs 2 crore, it made it clean and
beautiful with greenery. Now it has added another facility by developing
Crematorium based on Gasifier. It also ensures neatness.
Bio Mass Gasifier Cremation is a unique system informed Sardar Rajwant
Singh Gulati who is the man behind starting Swarg Dham in the year 1984.
It is nothing but using technology for crematorium and clean environment
said Gulati. Elaborating on this ambitious project, Gulati said Wood
Gasifiers are Renewable Energy Systems which convert wood into gas. This
gas produced is convenient to burn and replaces fuels like Diesel /
Kerosene / LPG / Electricity or direct fire wood for any burning
application.
Gas produced by the burning of wooden chips (known as solid fuel) would be
the source of energy for the functioning of the burners. The new
crematorium which has come up at Swarg Dhaam, a model cremation ground at
Alwal has one burner. This is being set up at a cost of Rs 45 lakh. Sardar
Rajwant Singh Gulati who is into social work for the past 38 years through
the International Association of Lions Clubs took up this project with the
support from like-minded friends and fellow lion members Minesh Narayan
Tandon and Sunil Bantia. He has also worked for promotion of Eye Donation.
And has done lot of work in this area.
About 4 inches length of cut woods (biomass, the renewable energy) are
being put into the hopper of the biomass gasifier which then fired with a
limited oxygen and a technology by which the producer gas is being
generated. The producer gas sends to the cremation furnace through pipe
and lid to generate the fire energy to incinerate the body between the
temperatures of 800 degree and1100 degree.
After the rituals the body is kept in a moveable trolley which places the
body in the cremation platform in cremation furnace. The cremation door
would then keep closed.
The body, would incinerate in the primary and in the secondary chamber
between the temperature 800 and 1100 degree and the cremation get
completed in about 60 to 90 minutes maximum depending upon the body size
and other biological reasons.
This technology was acquired from Associated Engineering Works, Tanuku.
The original technology developers have received a National DSIR Award, a
National award from Government of India. The Department of Scientific &
Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, confers National
Awards for Outstanding In-house R&D Achievements, in various groups /
areas / categories of Industry.
Wood burning is adopted for cremation due to sentiments attached to it and
avoids various problems and difficulties in cremating the bodies, added
Gulati. Wood is the source of energy for this. It fulfills the sentiments
attached in this regard and at the same uses modern technology. The
cremation of each body generally requires 400 kg of wood. It takes about
90 minutes (compared to 3-4 hours time requirement by open wood burning)
for full cremation. It is Economical in operation (around 50% cheaper
compared to open wood burning). The specialty of the system is that the
actual ash of the body only will be collected, unlike in the open wood
burning method where ash of the wood is also mixed with the body ash.
“As per the custom, the bodies are bathed and rites performed before they
are cremated. Bathing in open place is not appropriate. Therefore, there
is a separate room kept for this purpose.
For a change the total place is done up so well that the entire
crematorium is full of lush greenery, water fountains, well laid and tiled
floors, a barber shop, lockers. It also has toilets, bathing blocks and
also a waiting room.
Bio Mass Gasifier Cremation is the first of its kind in the state of
Andhra Pradesh. There are two similar crematoriums in Tamil Nadu and one
in Pondicherry, informed Gulati.
The crematorium is easily accessible.
