The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has sought scientific data from the forensic departments of Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) and BJ Medical College (BJMC) regarding air pollution caused by human cremations, following repeated queries from citizens, officials said on Sunday.
The civic body has also sought clarity on whether joint research can be conducted on the issue. Last week, the civic health department requested research reports, studies, or any available data on emissions generated during the cremation of human bodies and their impact on air quality.
The move comes after a complaint filed on the state government portal by a resident of Navi Peth, who has been consistently seeking information on the environmental impact of crematoriums in the city. Officials said the civic body has previously received several complaints from residents regarding significant smoke emissions, foul odour and air pollution in the Navi Peth area around the Vaikunth Smashan Bhoomin (crematorium).
The civic body operates 75 crematoriums in Pune, where around 3,500 to 4,000 cremations take place every month. However, nearly 40% of these cremations are performed at Vaikunth alone, which handles 35–40 cremations daily.
According to officials, the civic body does not have information regarding air pollution caused by human crematoriums. The PMC had earlier approached the ICMR-National Institute of Virology for relevant data. However, the institute clarified that the subject matter relates to the forensic science department. Following this, the civic body approached the forensic department of SGH.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health chief of PMC, said, “We have written to the head of the forensic science department at SGH, requesting copies of any existing research or studies on emissions from cremation and their contribution to air pollution. If such studies or reports are not available, we have also sought clarity on whether the institution can undertake research on the issue,” he said.
Dr Yallapa Jadhav, medical superintendent of SGH, said, “We will discuss the request with the respective department team. Further decisions regarding the prospective study will be taken after the discussion,” he said.
