Chandigarh is moving ahead with a plan to clean up its air, and a large part of that plan is focused on an unexpected place — the city's cremation ground. The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has prepared projects worth over Rs 54 crore under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to improve air quality in the city.
The proposals have been submitted to the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC). The committee will forward them to the Ministry of Environment for approval and release of funds.
Sector 25 Cremation Ground Upgrade: What the Rs 23-Crore Project Includes
The single biggest project in the plan is the upgradation of the Sector 25 cremation ground, at an estimated cost of more than Rs 23 crore. This one project alone makes up a large share of the total Rs 54-crore package.
The project proposes the installation of an Open-Pyre Emission Control System. Under this system, emissions from funeral pyres will be captured through specialised retractable, refractory-lined hoods. These hoods are designed to sit over the pyre and pull the smoke away at the source.
From there, the captured emissions will be channelled through a heavy-duty ducting network. The smoke will then be treated in a central wet scrubber before being released through a specially designed 15-metre stack.
Why Cremation Grounds Matter for Clean Air
Funeral pyres burn wood and other materials, and the smoke they release adds to local air pollution. By capturing emissions at the pyre itself and treating them before release, the Open-Pyre Emission Control System aims to reduce the pollution load coming from the cremation ground.
The plan fits into the broader NCAP effort, under which the Municipal Corporation has bundled multiple anti-pollution projects into one package worth over Rs 54 crore. The Sector 25 cremation ground upgrade is the most expensive item on that list.
What Happens Next
The proposals are now with the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee. The CPCC's role is to forward them to the Ministry of Environment. Only after the ministry approves the projects will funds be released and work can begin.
Until that approval comes through, the projects remain proposals on paper. The timeline for the Sector 25 cremation ground upgrade depends on how quickly the approval and funding process moves.
Our Take: A Practical Step, But Execution Is the Real Test
In our view, this is a sensible use of clean air funds. Cremation grounds are often ignored in pollution debates, even though they release smoke right inside residential neighbourhoods. Sector 25 is a busy area, and an open-pyre emission control system there could make a real difference to the air people breathe nearby.
To put it plainly, the technology described — retractable hoods, ducting, a wet scrubber, and a 15-metre stack — is the right approach for this kind of pollution source. The question is not whether the plan makes sense. It does. The question is whether it gets approved, funded, and built without getting stuck in paperwork.
For residents, the takeaway is simple: a Rs 23-crore upgrade to the Sector 25 cremation ground is on the table, and it is part of a larger Rs 54-crore clean air push. Whether that translates into cleaner air depends on the Ministry of Environment clearing the proposals and the Municipal Corporation delivering on them.
