Ahmedabad’s municipal authority has launched Gujarat’s first CNG-powered crematorium for pet dogs, allowing pet owners dignified, scientific last rites with CCTV viewing, urn hand-overs and seating facilities, while emphasising environmental safety and animal welfare.
In a first-of-its-kind move in Gujarat, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has operationalised a CNG-based crematorium exclusively for pet dogs at its Cattle Nuisance Control Department’s (CNCD) Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centre in Behrampura.
The facility, developed at an estimated cost of around ₹30 lakh, can cremate up to three dogs at a time using gas-fired technology that is smoke-free, odourless and environmentally compliant.
Municipal officials highlighted that traditional burial methods could lead to soil contamination and pose health risks, while the CNG-based system ensures more hygienic and scientific disposal of remains. The crematorium’s design includes primary and secondary chambers, operating at high temperatures to prevent diseases like canine distemper or rabies from persisting post-cremation.
To support grieving families, AMC has built seating for up to six people, installed CCTV viewing facilities so owners can watch the cremation remotely, and arranged for ashes to be respectfully placed in urns and handed over to owners at their homes.
The corporation has also included transport support, a helpline, and optional rituals similar to human last rites.
A Growing Need Amid Rising Pet Ownership and Welfare Initiatives
The launch comes against a backdrop of an increasing number of pet dogs in Ahmedabad, which civic data suggests is in the tens of thousands and growing each year under dedicated registration drives.
The crematorium was developed in alignment with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules–2023 and the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE-2030), under which the civic body has already undertaken vaccinations, sterilisation drives, dog feeding spots, and medical treatment services.
Official figures show that a significant number of pet dogs thousands have been registered so far, enabling the AMC to systematically cater to pet welfare needs, including dignified end-of-life care.
The crematorium also addresses practical challenges that pet parents previously faced, such as a lack of space or safe burial-cremation sites within the city’s urban landscape.
AMC officials have indicated plans to establish two more such crematoriums in Ahmedabad, anticipating future demand and greater uptake of services. Early users including families saying goodbye to young puppies and long-lived companions have welcomed the facility as a compassionate addition to the city’s animal welfare ecosystem.
How the Service Works and Who It Benefits
To avail the cremation services, pet owners are required to report the death of a registered dog through AMC’s helpline or online portal supplying the pet’s registration details after which the corporation’s Antim Dham Jeev Seva Rath team assists with on-site rituals and transport to the crematorium. Owners who wish to be present at the crematorium may also do so.
The service costs approximately ₹700 per cremation, a figure that officials describe as modest given the scientific methods, respect for emotional bonds, and environmental benefits involved.
Beyond private pet owners, the facility also eases municipal handling of deceased stray or unclaimed animals, reducing the risk of unsafe disposal methods and contamination.
The city’s broader pet welfare policies include regular vaccination campaigns, periodic health checks, and mandatory registration of pet dogs all designed to improve public health outcomes and promote responsible pet ownership as Ahmedabad works toward its rabies-free goals by 2030.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The inauguration of Gujarat’s first CNG-based pet dog crematorium by the AMC marks an important evolution in how urban India recognises the emotional bonds between humans and animals.
It marries scientific rigour with compassionate service, respecting both environmental imperatives and deeply personal moments of loss for pet owners.
Such initiatives highlight how local governance can reflect evolving social sensibilities acknowledging that pets are integral to the fabric of many Indian families, deserving not just of care in life, but dignity in death.
