Pricol establishes biomass gasifier crematorium

Premier Instruments and Control Ltd., which manufactures automotive instruments, has established a crematorium that will burn bodies using energy from a biomass gasifier unit. It has been established in association with the Periyanaickenpalayam Town Panchayat under the company's Pricol Rural Development Programme (PRDP).

Commissioned


The crematorium at Periyanaickenpalayam, about 20 km north of the city, was commissioned on Thursday and dedicated to the public by Collector Neeraj Mittal and Thondamuthur MLA M. Kannappan .

The crematorium, named `Nithyananda', was part of the company's corporate-social responsibility. Pricol's Managing Director Vijay Mohan said it had been built at Rs.85 lakh. The employees had contributed a day's salary towards establishing it in memory of the company's founder N. Damotharan.

Non-profit basis


Six bodies a day could be cremated in the new crematorium. The charge for each body was Rs.750 and the firm said it was on a non-profit basis.

Executive Director of the company and Managing Trustee of Siruthuli Vanita Mohan said Periyanaickenpalayam Town Panchayat President P.R.G. Arunkumar supported the community service initiatives, especially the crematorium.

Fuel


He had helped in obtaining a vehicle to bring bodies to the crematorium. The vehicle also would be provided at a reasonable cost.

The biomass gasifier would use wood from thorny shrubs (veli kathan) as fuel. Cultivation of these on wastelands would fetch an income, especially when used for such biomass gasifier units.

Smoke from the furnaces would be let out through a 100 ft chimney. It would not cause pollution as it will be routed through a scrubber.

Commending Pricol for providing the crematorium for the community, Mr. Kannappan said it was a very significant contribution considered the difficulties faced now in maintaining burial grounds or cremation sheds.

He also appreciated the support lent by the Town Panchayat.

Former Coimbatore East MLA V.K. Lakshmanan said the crematorium was a timely contribution by the company to the people when there was a struggle to find space for burial or cremation.

Contribution


Mr. Arunkumar thanked the management and employees of Pricol for providing the facility in Periyanaickenpalayam.

Ms. Mohan thanked the Government agencies, especially the District Administration and the Town Panchayat for the support to the service projects.

"Our next project is a hospital for the community. I hope we get the same amount of support," she said and thanked the company's employees also for their support.

Programmes


The company said in a release that PRDP aimed at serving the villages located around the manufacturing facility of Pricol.

The other programmes were water management, afforestation, wastewater recycling, solid waste management, literacy and health.

The employees had also contributed a day's salary for the Kargil operations, the victims of the Gujarat earthquake and the tsunami that hit Tamil Nadu, the revival of the Noyyal river, construction of a bridge across a stream in Periyanaickenpalayam and to Siruthuli for de-silting tanks, the release said.

Source: The Hindu