INVC,,
Delhi,,
Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests said the statistics of felling trees to use in last rites every year is surprising. Launching the ‘Harit Moksha’ project, a CSR initiative by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in association with Mokshda Paryavaran Evam Van Suraksha Samiti (Mokshada PEVSS) here today he further said, “We lose 2 Lakh hectares just for felling trees for burning dead bodies. With the help of efficient wood-based crematoria, which will be culturally more acceptable to our people, we will be able to save more trees.” Talking about his association with the scheme of electronic crematoria in Uttar Pradesh as part of Ganga Action Plan – I during 1985, he informed that it did not proliferate as much as it should have. Because of the shortage of power in UP, crematoria did not function. This is culturally also not an accepted practice.
Shri Jairam Ramesh appreciated excellent initiatives to grow mangroves by ONGC at various places. The Minister offered to have collaboration in much area like pollution control, environmental management and afforestation project in coastal area, wet lands and forests.
A total 30 units of Mokshda Green Cremation System (MGCS) are proposed to be set up at 8 work centres of ONGC at a cost of Rs. 9.19 crores in the first phase. Funds for the project would be provided by ONGC. There will be 10 units in Mumbai followed by 6 in Delhi, 4 unit in Vadodara, 3 in Ahmedabad, 2 each in Dehradun, Khambat and Jodhpur and 1 in Bokaro.
It is capable of saving wood up to 60% besides reducing air and river pollution significantly. Due to much lesser wood burning, MGCS not only helps reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thereby mitigating global warming but also makes cremation process affordable to economically weaker sections of the society.The project would be implemented by Mokshada PEVSS on turnkey basis in period of three years.When completed, the project would help saving 13,700 tonnes of wood besides reducing 26,500 tonnes of (CO2 ) GHG emissions annually.
