Experts suggest ways to check pollution

Pune: A team of experts from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) have suggested that another scrubber be added in the chimney at the Vaikunth crematorium for enhanced filtration of smoke. The team members have also suggested other improvements in operational practices.
The team visited the Vaikunth crematorium to check the pollution levels following complaints from residents.Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials said the experts’ suggestions include training staff operating electric crematoriums and improving the way in which the bodies are handled.
The chimney already has a couple of scrubbers. With the addition of another scrubber, the smoke coming out can be better filtered. The issues of location and height can be sorted out up to a large extent with the additional scrubber, experts claimed.
“The team’s suggestions will be implemented. The experts have also given suggestions to control the smoke and improve the standard operating procedures,” said Shrinivas Kandul, a senior PMC official.
The civic body has installed sensors to check the air quality at residential and commercial establishments located around Vaikunth. The presence of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur particles will be checked. The air quality of the area will be compared with other neighbourhoods in the city, to see if locations around the crematorium are more polluted.
The team of experts has also installed temporary sensors to monitor air pollution in real time for their study.
There are 24 electrical- and gas-operated cremation facilities within PMC limits. Civic officials claimed that they are using eco-friendly methods, like the use of white coal, to cremate bodies.