Wood shortage looms at Puri Swargadwar; experts urge electric cremation

A serious shortage of firewood has emerged at Puri’s sacred cremation ground Swargadwar, causing distress among families arriving daily for last rites. The supply of wood has failed to keep pace with the growing number of bodies brought for cremation, leaving relatives anxious and struggling to arrange timely funerals, sources said on Thursday.

Also Read: ‘Dead’ woman wakes to life at Puri’s Swargadwar moments before final rites

Swargadwar holds immense religious significance for millions of Hindus, who believe that cremation at this site ensures salvation and freedom from rebirth. Driven by this faith, families from across regions bring the bodies of their loved ones to Swargadwar. However, with daily cremations now averaging over 100 to 110, and on some days crossing 130, the demand for firewood has surged sharply.

On the 15th of this month alone, a record 136 bodies had arrived for cremation, severely straining the available resources and overwhelming both the deceased’s relatives and members of the Swargadwar Seba Samiti.

Under Harishchandra Yojana, the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) supplies around 1.8 quintals of wood per body. With the rising numbers, the daily requirement has crossed 200 quintals, a demand officials admit is increasingly difficult to meet.

Experts warn that unless alternatives to wood-based cremation are adopted, the situation could worsen. Intellectuals have stressed the need to expand electric cremation facilities, while proposals such as cow-dung briquettes have also been discussed earlier.

Apart from wood scarcity, Swargadwar is also facing a shortage of cremation platforms, leading to long waiting hours. Authorities are now under pressure to act swiftly to address both resource and infrastructure gaps.

“If 100 bodies are brought for cremation, then around 180 quintals of firewood will be required. The number of dead bodies is more as compared to the wood logs that is being sent to us,” Puri OFDC official, Laxmidhar Samantasinghar, said to OTV.