US-Iran War Impact: Pune shuts gas-based crematorium furnaces as govt prioritises LPG supply

The ripple effects of the ongoing Middle East crisis have now reached municipal services in India. In Pune, several gas-based crematorium furnaces have been temporarily shut after the Union government directed that propane and butane supplies be prioritised for domestic LPG consumption amid growing fuel supply pressures.

According to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a directive on March 5, 2026, asking that available propane and butane across the country be diverted primarily for household LPG cylinders. With tensions rising in the Middle East and global fuel supplies getting shaky, people are starting to worry about how easy it’ll be to get key energy resources.

Because of this, the PMC has hit pause on all gas-based cremation furnaces in the city starting March 5. There’s no word yet on when they’ll start back up. Still, city officials say not to worry—other cremation options are up and running, so funeral services won’t get interrupted.

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Why gas-based crematoriums in Pune have been closed?

The temporary shutdown is directly linked to the central government's move to prioritise LPG supply for domestic consumption. Propane and butane - the primary components used in LPG are also used to run gas-based cremation furnaces.

Because the Middle East crisis has squeezed fuel logistics, authorities are now sending whatever supplies they have straight to households. They want to make sure cooking gas keeps flowing everywhere.

This shift means city services that use the same fuel—like gas-powered cremation facilities—have had to hit pause for now. Some municipal operations just can’t run until the fuel situation eases up.

Vaikunth Crematorium gas furnaces shut, electric systems remain operational

At Pune’s Vaikunth Crematorium one of the city’s main cremation facilities - three gas-based cremation furnaces have been shut down following the directive.

However, the PMC clarified that five electric cremation furnaces at the same facility will continue to operate. Funeral services keep running smoothly, even with the gas-based systems shut down. Electric cremation sites across the city stay open, so people still have options during this time.

Air pollution control-enabled crematoriums to continue functioning

The civic body said that crematoriums equipped with Air Pollution Control (APC) technology will continue to operate during the temporary suspension of gas-based systems.

These facilities are designed to reduce emissions during cremation and are increasingly being adopted by urban local bodies as cleaner alternatives.

Officials said the continued operation of electric and APC-equipped crematoriums will help maintain service capacity while fuel supplies remain constrained.

PMC urges residents to cooperate during temporary suspension

The Pune Municipal Corporation has urged residents to take note of the temporary changes and cooperate with municipal authorities.

Civic officials emphasised that the shutdown of gas-based crematorium furnaces is a precautionary and temporary step taken in line with national fuel prioritisation policies during the ongoing energy supply challenges.

The municipal body added that the normal operations will resume once the fuel supply situation stabilises.