“Why not a green burial?”

I refer to the letter by B. K. Karanjia, "Why not a green burial?” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, June 21, 2007) setting out a method for disposal of dead bodies by deep freezing them, then reducing them to powder and later burying the remains.

At present the Bombay Parsi Pun­chayet (BPP) is following the method of exposure of bodies to the sun’s rays (with or without the aid of solar concentrators) for some time and then burying them. Unlike in the days when vultures were present and the body was stripped clean of the flesh and internal organs and only bones remained, the present day burial is with the flesh and internal organs intact with merely some quantum of water from the dead bodies dehydrated by the sun’s rays. Without entering into the controversy about lilo naso or sukko naso the fact of burial of the bodies with flesh and internal organs is an accepted position.

If technically feasible, the method suggested by Karanjia should be seriously considered. Should the high priests accept this method as most akin to the principles of non-polluting of the environment, then the controversy tearing the community apart can also come to an end. The body can, if technically feasible, be exposed to the sun’s rays for a specific number of days and then undergo disposal by the deep freezing method. Even if the priests do not agree, the method appears to be clean and efficient and should be adopted on a voluntary basis by those who desire to do so.

Karanjia states that Mehroo Billimo­ria, wife of Beji of B. E. Billimoria and Company Limited is pursuing the idea with crusading zeal.

Mere writing of letters in the Press is, however, not sufficient. Some time back we had read about plasma gasification, without any subsequent follow-up. What we need at this stage is persons with adequate technical skills to prepare and put before the community a proper report setting out the technical and financial feasibility; the equipment needed; its availability; the trials conducted so far; the physical space required for installing it; and the costs of building and maintaining such a project.

Perhaps B. E. Billimoria and Company Limited referred to by Karanjia or any other party who has the technical expertise will come forward with such a report.

E. P. BHARUCHA