Kathmandu, September 9 

The number of people opting for electric crematorium over traditional wooden pyre has increased of late.

The electric crematorium is not only cheaper but also less time consuming.

According to Kumar Thapa Magar, chief administrative of Electric Crematorium House of Pashupati Area Development Trust, it is not only less time consuming and cheap but also eco-friendly. “Use of electric crematorium has helped controlling air and water pollution in the Pashupati area.  With the increasing use of electric crematorium, people have got rid of bad smell to some extent,” he added.

“Earlier, kin of the deceased used to feel great unease in opting for electric crematorium but nowadays nearly 10 to 12 dead bodies are brought to the crematorium house,” he said.

Electric Cremation facility is only available at the Pashupati Aryaghat area, where two cremation machines have been instaled to provide the service.

Magar informed that currently only one machine is in function and it can cremate only 12 dead bodies in a day. “However, the machine needs servicing every month and for servicing, it takes nearly six days. This has caused inconvenience to the kin of the deceased as they have to wait for days to use the facility,” he said further.

“It costs Rs 2000 for a dead body of child below 10 years and Rs 4000 for an adult’s body. The machine takes around 45 minutes to reduce a body to ashes,” he said, adding, “We are planning to instal another machine soon so that people will not have to wait in queue”.

Though electric crematorium is cost effective, the number of people opting for traditional wooden pyre has not decreased significantly, said Bishnu Prasad Nepal, chief of Pashupati Ghat Sewa Kendra, adding that only 25 per cent of people choose electric crematorium.