The eco-friendly wood-based crematorium set up at Pashupati is coming into operation again.
Wooden Crematorium, which has been closed for some time now, will resume operation after the repair of the crematorium.
The crematorium, established by Everest Bank in 2077 BS and handed over to Pashupati Development Trust, was inaugurated by the then Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Bhattarai.
The crematorium, which packed up after a few years of operation, is coming into operation after repairs with the help of funds under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Everest Bank.
Narottam Baidya, former chairman of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-8 and former member of Pashupati Area Development Trust, said that thousands of people were cremated in the wood-based crematorium built by Everest Bank during the Covid-19 period.
According to him, the crematorium got damaged due to carelessness after many dead bodies were kept in one place and burnt at the same time.
"Everest Bank has repaired a cremation machine with the CSR fund of Rs 1.4 million", he said, "The cremation machine will come into operation again," said he.
Trend of cremating bodies through electric crematorium is growing since it is faster and cost-effective, too. According to him, the modern and environment-friendly crematorium can be used as an alternative for those who are cremated traditionally.
Vaidya said that the crematorium will also reduce environmental pollution.
Former member of National Planning Commission and CSR Committee member of Everest Bank Dr. Ganesh Gurung said that there is an option for cremation based on the rites according to the choice of people.
According to him, this technology, which is running in Hindustan, was built by Everest Bank at three places in Nepal at a huge expenditure.
Bank has built crematoriums in three places in Nepal in view of people who use wood for cremation without using electricity."
“Also, environment-friendly cremation requires three to four times less firewood than traditional methods. Also, the environment is not polluted", he said.
The environment-friendly crematoriums have been constructed at Pashupati area, Bhairawaha and Pokhara.
Similarly, construction of a crematorium is underway in Lalitpur's Kumaripati, too.
Gurung said that when cremating a corpse with the use of modern machines, our Hindu culture of using firewood will also remain alive, it is environmentally friendly, wood consumption will also be much less than burning with firewood in the open.
The cremation of a corpse can be completed in a maximum of one and a half hours in the wood-based crematorium.
The crematorium has one chamber and two trolleys. One body can be cremated in one trolley. Firewood is placed under the trolley. Baidya says that two dead bodies cannot be cremated at the same time.
Machine cremation using firewood does not cause pollution like open burning. According to him, 100 kg of wood will suffice to cremate one corpse.
Also, ant the funeral rites can be performed according to Hindu traditions. A chimney is also attached to the machine and cremates a dead body within 1 hour by drawing oxygen from the bottom holes.
