Tamil Nadu: Gasifier crematorium uses firewood, releases smoke

CHENNAI: Thick black soot from a crematorium marred the colourful sky in Chromepet on Saturday and was caught by a TOI photographer. The crematorium, one of two operated by the Pallavaram municipality, operates a gasifier unit using chips of firewood as fuel to generate 800°C-900°C to turn bodies into ashes.
Such black smoke is hardly visible inside city limits though most units use similar gasifier technology.A few electric crematoriums also function in the city limits.
The manager of the unit, operated under the Chennai National Trust, responded to questions by TOI on air pollution as well as the other norms to be followed. The 50-ft-tall chimney, operating as per government norms, discharges soot at a level where it would not cause pollution, he claimed. Wood chips are fed into the gasifier unit through which a blower sends in pressurised air to create the fire needed for attaining the required temperature. "This is what causes the black soot," he said. The gasifier was designed by a Madurai-based professor of Annamalai University around 15 years ago, he said adding that the unit planned to use LPG gas as source fuel and had received permission from the municipality.
Switching to an electric crematorium is tough as it is costlier and cools down faster and needs skilled maintenance, compared to gasifier units, the manager said.