Hon’ble Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dedicates a Natural Gas based Crematorium built under GAIL’s CSR Initiative

Bhubaneswar:18/8/23;Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India today dedicated a pioneering Natural Gas based crematorium to the people of Bhubaneswar at Dharam Vihar here. This significant endeavour was realized with the support of GAIL (India) Limited under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

The dedication ceremony witnessed the presence of esteemed dignitaries including Smt. Aparajita Sarangi, Member of Parliament, Bhubaneswar, Smt. Sujata Chhotray, Corporator, Ward No. 63, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Shri Ayush Gupta, Director (Human Resources), GAIL (India) Limited and other senior officials from both GAIL (India) Limited and local administration.

The natural gas-based crematorium, undertaken as a part of GAIL’s ‘Support for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) Crematorium in Bhubaneswar & Cuttack, Odisha’ project. The PNG-based crematorium at Dharam Vihar, Bhubaneswar, is a testament to GAIL’s commitment to sustainable development and environmentally-friendly practices. GAIL will establish two more state-of-the-art PNG crematoriums at strategic locations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The other sites i.e., Alugadi, Aiginia, Bhubaneswar and Khannagar, Cuttack are in the advance stages of construction. The estimated budget for all three locations is Rs. 16 crore. This project aligns with GAIL’s goal to promote cleaner fuels, thereby enhancing air quality and reducing carbon emissions.

The primary objective of the project includes the establishment of three modern PNG-based crematoriums, encouraging eco-friendly cremation practices, reducing air pollution, providing efficient facilities for last rites, and raising awareness about the benefits of PNG cremation among local residents.

GAIL’s proactive involvement in this initiative exemplifies its dedication to CSR initiatives, community welfare, and environmental conservation.

GAIL is implementing various Natural Gas pipelines, City Gas Distribution and coal-gasification-based Fertilizer plant in the state of Odisha. 1,650 km high pressure cross-country pipeline at an estimated investment of Rs. 6,850 crore, City Gas Distribution in 5 Geographical Areas across 11 districts at an investment of Rs. 1,729 crore are at various stages of implementation. In addition, GAIL is also a Joint Venture partner in Talcher Fertilizer project which is being set up with an approximate investment of Rs. 17,000 crore.

During the implementation phase of these projects, approximately 1 crore direct and indirect man-days of employment will be generated. While during the operational phase, this figure will be approximately 20 lakh man days per year.