Bhubaneswar: In a first for the city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday opened a crematorium for small animals, offering an alternative to the burial of stray animal carcasses and addressing a long-standing challenge of disposing of dead animals in urban areas.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the LPG-based crematorium virtually on the occasion of Local Self-Governance Day. The facility has the capacity to handle around 500 small animal carcasses a month.
BMC officials said the crematorium was set up to provide a scientific, hygienic and environmentally sustainable method of disposing of dead animals within the city. The facility is equipped with modern cremation infrastructure aimed at reducing public health risks and environmental pollution.
The civic body currently handles at least 10 stray animal carcasses every day. These are generally buried after being lifted by the BMC’s health wing. However, burial has increasingly become a problem in the city due to the availability of land and objections from residents to burying animal carcasses near localities.
Except for cattle, carcasses of small animals will now be disposed of through the gas-based incineration system. Officials said the method would make the disposal process quicker, safer and more environment-friendly.
Under the existing system, the civic body’s health wing lifts dead animals and the carcasses are subsequently buried. The new facility will allow them to be disposed of through incineration instead.
