Reply by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the matter of Mamta Samir Shirali Vs The authorities of new crematorium, Boriwali & Others dated 11/12/2024.

Mamta Samir Shirali resident of Borivali (W), Mumbai in her application to the NGT said that the authorities responsible for running new crematoriums at Borivali, Babhai/Vazira Nake as well as Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) have not taken cognizance of the fact that the crematorium is located in the middle of the residential area. Even though the crematorium is electric / PNG, huge gas is emanating out of it in the surrounding area. Also, a lot of obnoxious gases are also released from the same affecting the health of the nearby residents.

A visit was carried out to the crematorium which included BMC officers. The official of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) carried out ambient air quality monitoring in the premises of the crematorium. The MPCB report said that PM10 and PM 2.5 pollution are marginally higher than prescribed limits. To this, the BMC said that the pollution levels do not change much during 24 hours. The highest levels are around 5 pm which is a high traffic time leading to increase in pollution due to traffic jams.

The MPCB report talked about the levels of benzene, xylenes and ethylbenzene. To this BMC said that the "cremation flue gases do not emit these gases and therefore the local pollution must have other pollution sources near the cemetery such as vehicular traffic jams, new constructions, painting jobs of buildings. BMC also said that crematorium flue gas Toluene is natural hydrocarbons and is not poisonous.

BMC stated that as per norms of the MPCB, a more environment friendly PNG cremation system was installed at Babhai cemetery on May 15, 2021. The PNG cremation system has 2 PNG operated furnaces for cremation of human bodies. The design of the PNG cremation system is vetted at Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Mumbai.

Air pollution control systems are installed at PNG operated furnaces and are operated and maintained by appointed contractors. The regular maintenance of air pollution control systems is carried out by a contractor appointed for these systems and the same is working satisfactorily. The black smoke generated during cremation of the human body is collected in a scrubber to scrub / clean the gases and remaining gases passed through chimneys.

BMC further stated that to check pollutants in smoke generated during cremation of the human body, the stack emission test is conducted periodically by the MPCB approved agency at both cremation systems. Recently, one such test was conducted on September 26, 2024 and it was observed that pollutants in air are within permissible limits as specified by MPCB.

The same type of PNG cremation systems are installed at different locations all over Mumbai city and all systems are working satisfactorily. Thus, there is no scope that PNG cemetery creates air pollution at Babhai cemetery at Borivali, Mumbai.